Professor Roy Augier (left) leads the pall bearers at the service of thanksgiving for the life of Professor Leslie Robinson at the University Chapel at the University of the West Indies, Mona campus, last Friday. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer

The following is a tribute to the late Professor Leslie Robinson, who passed away on April 4 at age 82, from Alfred Sangster, former president of CAST/University of Technology.

Professor Leslie Robinson and his wife Joyce were personal friends for many years and his death marks the passing of an icon. He joined the staff of the fledgling University College of the West Indies (UCWI) as a lecturer in mathematics and he remained a staff member of the institution for all of his working life. Over the years he was to rise to the position of head of the Mathematics Department and later was appointed principal of the Mona campus. As Pro-Vice Chancellor, he pioneered the development of the Planning Unit at the university.

I remember him as a colleague in the pioneering days at the college, as the UCWI - initially a college of London University - sought to make its name in the Caribbean.

I remember him as we went together to Barbados in 1963 to start the Barbados campus of the university. Staying at the Marine Hotel, we did much of the planning at night as things began to take shape.

The campus in those early days was not on the prestigious Cave Hill site that it now occupies, but rather was on huts on the Bridgetown harbour site. While Leslie looked after administrative matters and served as the principal of the Barbados University College for its first year, I was responsible for the arrangements of the Science Department programme and spent a month in the island. This involved arranging space at the Queen's High School for labs for physics and chemistry and making arrangements for the registration of the first set of students and the lecturers that were to man the programme for the first years.

An exciting time

Many of those lecturers were temporarily seconded from the Mona campus and took turns in Barbados. It was an exciting time and Leslie brought his characteristic charm and student-friendly manner to the development proceedings and so we started a vibrant and later successful College of the University later to be headed by Sir Sydney Martin.

I remember him as the chairman of the Council of the College of Arts Science and Technology (CAST) when I was the principal. He brought his administrative experience to the position as chairman and was fully supportive of the developments that were taking place under my leadership. He understood the educational system in Jamaica and could therefore understand and support the kind of new developments and philosophical underpinnings of technical education that were being developed at the college.

He shared the vision for the institution and at one time the two institutions might have been seen as competitors, he always moved in a spirit of partnership and was always ready to support the case of CAST to the government authorities. Unfortunately, when he became the Mona campus principal, he felt that he had to give up his role as the chairman.

I remember Leslie as he was a warm, outgoing and engaging personality and a dear friend who has passed on.