The Tribune

By FELICITY DARVILLE

SNOW Hill is an inconspicuous little town in northern Long Island, not often heard of when more popular settlements are mentioned. Yet it was right in the heart of Snow Hill that Cornelius A Smith would be welcomed into the world, where he would be nurtured, and where he would be given the humble island foundation that would serve him well in life, as he rose to occupy the highest state post in the country.

Just a couple days after demitting the office of the Governor General of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, His Excellency Cornelius A Smith spoke with me about his tenure. His appointment as Governor General was the culmination of a stellar career in public service.

He started at a very early age. The young Cornelius spent his formative years attending Glinton All-Age School. Long Island has always been known for producing some of the most exceptional teachers in The Bahamas, so it was no surprise that he, with good grades, would be accepted to the Teacher’s Training College in Nassau once he graduated from Glinton All Age.

After graduating college, he went on to serve as teacher at Southern Junior and Western Junior public schools. In those days, teachers were given the responsibility of instructing in a wide range of subjects. The young Cornelius’ intelligence and wit shone as he aptly instructed in foundation, vocational, and extra curricular subjects.

He then had the opportunity to travel to Grand Bahama, where he taught at Smith’s Point All Age School, positively impacting the lives of young Bahamians there. Cornelius always had a passion for youth empowerment and it showed in his work ethic and commitment to teaching young kinds with bright futures.

His talent did not go unnoticed. At the tender age of 20, Cornelius was given the responsibility of serving as the principal of Victoria Point All Age School in Mangrove Cay, Andros.

Two years later, he would marry the love of his life Clara, whom he had met a year earlier. They have three children: Clayton, Cornelia and Cornelius Alvin Jr.

Eventually, his career path would take a turn. He was on summer break from school one year, when he was seconded to the Customs Department. Once again, his work ethic and talent was noticed. He was offered the opportunity to travel to Panama to study the operations of The Colon Free Zone - the largest Free Trade Zone in the Western Hemisphere. The information that he and others on the study trip would garner from Panama would be utilised in developing policies for The Bahamas’ own Free Trade Zone in Freeport, Grand Bahama.

One of the individuals on that trip was Frank Watson, a friend with whom he had spent time growing up in Long Island. They excelled and because of it, Cornelius was transferred from education to customs as the Department grew.

He spent five years as a customs officer with Mr. Watson before he finally left the public service and joined a private company called Syntax Pharmaceuticals - a company for which he served in senior management for many years.

While climbing the professional ladder, a budding political career also emerged for Cornelius A Smith.

It was in 1982 that CA Smith, as he is often referred, first threw his hat into the ring to become a Member of Parliament. Prior to that, he was a strong supporter for Maurice Moore, eventually running his election campaign and serving as campaign general.

In 1967, the year of Majority Rule, Cornelius helped Mr Moore secure the victory. He was one of the original members of the Progressive Liberal Party when they won the government in 1967. It was the very first time in history that a black political party had won the majority of the votes in the history of the country.

Eventually, Mr Moore would become one of the Dissident Eight, who left the governing Progrressive Liberal Party and formed the Free National Movement. Cecil V Wallace-Whitfield, Maurice Moore, Arthur Foulkes and others would make the decision to chart a path they felt was better aligned with their vision for the country.

With CA Smith as campaign general, Mr Moore won his seat in 1967. He lost in 1972 but won again in 1977, 1982, 1987, and again in 1992. Meantime, Smith was already bitten by the political bug.

He offered himself up for election in 1982 in Grand Bahama in the Marco City constituency. With political experience under his belt, he had the savvy and the know-how, and most of all, he won the hearts of the people in the area. In 1987, Marco City’s name was changed to Pineridge. Very little changes were made, he said, to the actual boundary.

From 1982 to 2002, the people of Grand Bahama put their faith and trust in Cornelius A Smith that he could get the job done and represent their best interests. Ten of those years he served in opposition and ten as a part of the ruling party.

When asked why he believed he had such a successful political career, Mr Smith said: “I think they felt I provided them with good representation. I stayed very close to my constituents. When we (in the FNM) had the opportunity to serve as the governing party, we were able to provide them with three new schools in that constituency. They were a real need at the time.  Healthcare facilities and local government were also brought to these Grand Bahama natives. We were also able to bring other services to Grand Bahama which allowed people to get passports, police certificates and others right on the island. I spent a lot of time serving the needs of the people, and they rewarded me with their vote.”

Not only was he a faithful MP, Mr Smith also served as a Cabinet Minister. He served as the Minister of Education, Minister of Public Safety and Immigration, Minister of Tourism and Minister of Transport and Local Government.

He offered service to his country at a high level. Even after he hung up his political hat, Mr Smith continued to serve the country; this timeline in the post of ambassador.

He was Ambassador to the United States starting on his appointment on 24 September 2007, as well as Ambassador/Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States and Non-Resident Ambassador to Mexico, Malaysia, Columbia, Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

While serving in Washington, DC, Mr Smith had the opportunity to serve his country and liaise with the United States Government under the Presidency of George W Bush, Jr, as well as Barak Obama.

A far way from Snow Hill, Cornelius stood on Capitol Hill and could look back at a life well-accomplished and worth living well. He conversed with both presidents on many occasions about affairs related to The Bahamas. This rare opportunity is only trumped by the fact that he would go on to serve as Governor General under both Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles - a chance very few people in the world would ever have.

“internationally, we have a tremendous presence for the size of our country,” he told me.

“It’s not something that shot up overnight. It was the result of the caliber of the people who made up the Diplomatic Corps that the Government of The Bahamas sent around the world. They are intelligent, and very well accomplished for their posts. They were doing everything they could to sell The Bahamas in a very good light.”

On June 29, 2019, Cornelius A Smith became the 11th Governor General of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. He also received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II and would become known as Sir Cornelius, or Sir CA.

His four years of service as Governor General give him much to be proud of. Government House was given an “overhaul - not a facelift” that was absolutely necessary for its survival. Ancient plumbing infrastructure throughout the grounds had to be completely redesigned. All of the electrical wiring had to be overhauled and brought up to code. The Windsor Wing was also extensively upgraded all to bring the “state house of The Bahamas”, as he called it, up to appropriate modern day standards.

When asked what it would be like visiting Government House grounds since his tenure, Sir Cornelius said one would see a “renewed facility”. He even spearheaded the development of a special area in Government House where all of its official documents and keepsake paraphernalia are now archived in a special temperature controlled room.

In addition to the buildings that are up at Government House, Sir Cornelius was also focused on the actual grounds. Plans are already in motion for an amphitheatre where schools, artists and other groups could gather and perform. The goal was to have an event held once a week on the grounds in the gardens.

Hurricane Dorian happened during his tenure as Governor General. Although it was heart wrenching, and one of the most difficult things for any leader to deal with, Sir Cornelius points out that Bahamians got together and showed their indomitable spirit greater than ever before. Voluteerism, he said, has risen to new heights in The Bahamas due to Dorian, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic - a double whammy that taught many the importance of working together and helping their fellow man. As Governor General, he said, he promoted volunteerism strongly and hopes that the culture continues long after these tragedies are behind us.

While serving as Governor General, he also continued his charitable work with the CA Smith Foundation. Once again, his commitment to friendship materialised into another great venture for the country. Sir Cornelius has a friendship with Dr. William Pickard that dates back five decades. While Dr Pickard, a very successful businessman, was busy helping young people in his hometown of Detroit, Sir Cornelius was doing the same thing in The Bahamas. They embarked on different careers in different countries. But their solid friendship crystallised their focus and individual commitments to academics and agriculture for their countries.

With 50 years of friendship, two men in two different countries came together with a singular vision for young people. The Smith-Pickard Friendship & Alliance Scholarship was born.

While serving as Governor General, Sir Cornelius saw the need to zone in on some specific areas on which he hoped college and university aspirants would focus. He wanted them to study in fields where The Bahamas, he felt, needed the most development. He also obliged them to return home and work in their respective fields to fulfil the honour of the scholarship and its intent to build The Bahamas.

The areas are: agriculture, climate change, and hospitality. At least ten students have attended university under this Smith-Pickard Friendship & Alliance since he became Governor General. Several of those students will be having lunch with him today and speaking with the press about what they have achieved with the help of their scholarship, and their aspirations to contribute to a better Bahamas. The Alliance has a strong relationship with the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), where several of the students have received tertiary studies. The Dean of Agriculture for the school is Dr. Robert Taylor, a former Face to Face with Felicity interviewee. Dr Taylor, who has written extensive scientific reports on Bahamian agriculture, especially its soil profile, will be in attendance at the lunch today, and has made a commitment to work with the Ministry of Agriculture as it augments its capacity going forward. A number of local and international dignitaries also will be in attendance.

Fresh from his tenure as Governor General on Mount Fitzwilliam, Sir Cornelius is already thinking about the days he will spend fishing and enjoying time right back in little Snow Hill, Long Island. He will also continue to inspire young people and source scholarships for them, ensuring that avenues are there to make the country’s future a little bit brighter.

He feels he has left Government House in the capable hands of Cynthia “Mother” Pratt.

“Governor Pratt has served this country with distinction in the past and will bring dedication, experience, and loyalty to the Office,” he said, “And I wish her every success!”