One hundred years ago, Reverend Percival Gibson dared to reimagine what education in Kingston could be. At a time when opportunities for secondary education were scarce, especially for boys from working and middle-class families, he envisioned a school that would not only offer academic excellence but also instill strong Christian values. In the 1920s, such a vision was bold, even radical. But Rev. Gibson saw the urgent need and committed himself to bridging that educational gap.
Through relentless determination and passionate advocacy, Rev. Gibson won over influential allies, including Bishop Decarteret and committed family members. His persistence paid off triumphantly on April 16, 1925, when forty-nine pioneering young men walked through the doors on East Street to become the first students of Kingston College (KC)- a moment that would forever alter Jamaica's educational landscape.
Rev. Gibson’s mission was never merely to educate, it was to shape principled young men who would uplift their communities and lead the nation into a better future. His goal was to develop Christian gentlemen of integrity, discipline, and purpose. In its early days, KC was often affectionately called “Gibson’s school,” a testament to his inspiring leadership and unwavering personal commitment to its success. He emphasized academic rigor, while also championing sports, though that legacy is a story in itself.
Students at the fledgling Kingston College were immersed in a demanding classical curriculum. Subjects like Logic, Latin, Greek, Elocution, Ethics, Hebrew, and Philosophy were not mere academic exercises - they were, in Rev. Gibson’s eyes, foundational tools for critical thinking, moral reasoning, and leadership. The aim was clear: to prepare young scholars for the Senior and Junior Cambridge examinations and to open the doors to esteemed universities abroad, especially in Britain.
Rev. Gibson quickly understood that realizing his bold educational vision required more than just infrastructure; it demanded exceptional educators who shared his passion and purpose. Among the first to heed his call were George Clough and Douglas Forrest, both of whom would become pillars of Kingston College’s early faculty. In the years that followed, they were joined by a growing cadre of talented and dedicated teachers. Their decision to align with a fledgling institution was not made lightly. It spoke volumes about Rev. Gibson’s magnetic leadership and the strength of his belief that Kingston College was destined to become one of Jamaica’s premier centers of learning.
That belief wasn’t confined to speeches or slogans - it was lived out daily. Whether in the stirring addresses delivered at morning assemblies by Rev. Gibson and Douglas Forrest, or through the tireless efforts of teachers in every classroom, the KC ethos was clear: academic excellence, moral discipline, and the development of young men who would lead with integrity.
Under the guidance of this exceptional teaching corps and Rev. Gibson’s steadfast leadership, Kingston College rapidly closed the gap with - and in many cases, surpassed older, more established institutions. The academic achievements of its early students were not just impressive; they were historic. Anthony Johnson’s definitive A History of Kingston College offers a detailed record of these early scholarship recipients. Rather than recite the full list, this account highlights a few remarkable individuals whose accomplishments helped cement KC’s national and international standing.
In 1933, Chester Burgess, who was head boy, became the first KC student to win a major scholarship when he won the prestigious Issa Scholarship valued at eighty pounds. Though significant, the award fell short of covering a full year’s tuition at an overseas university. Undeterred, Burgess postponed his studies, teaching mathematics at KC while he secured additional support. His perseverance paid off, eventually leading him to McGill University in Montreal, Canada. His journey exemplified the KC spirit: resilience, scholarship, and the pursuit of excellence against the odds.
Three years after Chester Burgess blazed the trail, Leroy Murad—another brilliant head boy achieved what was then unthinkable: he became Kingston College’s first Rhodes Scholar. His selection in 1936 sent a wave of pride through the school community. It was a defining moment for Rev. Percival Gibson, whose dream of producing young men capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with the world’s best was becoming a reality.
Among the brightest stars of the 1940s was John Hall, one of Rev. Gibson’s most beloved students. Hall was such a brilliant student that he delivered his valedictory address in Latin, reflecting his academic brilliance and classical training. There is a famous anecdote from that era that when boys were sent to the principal to be disciplined, by caning or other means, Gibson would first ask them why they could not be like John Hall. After KC, he went on to study medicine in England and would later become Jamaica’s first neurologist, breaking ground in a field that was virtually nonexistent in the Caribbean at the time.
Murad’s historic Rhodes win was not an isolated success. Over the decades, three more KC men would join that elite circle: Evan Morris in 1949, Delroy Chuck in 1973, and Stephen Vasciannie in 1981. Each, in their way, embodied the ideals Rev. Gibson championed: intellectual rigor, leadership, and service.
Then came a watershed moment in 1948 when John Manley, a student of quiet determination, secured the school’s first Jamaica Scholarship by topping the entire island in the Senior Cambridge exams. That victory sent a powerful message: Kingston College had arrived, not just as a promising school, but as a force in national education.
The 1950s would become the most academically dominant decade in KC’s history. In 1950, Norman Rae captured the school’s second Jamaica Scholarship. Four more would follow before the decade ended, along with a host of government awards that opened doors for boys who might otherwise have never dreamed of university.
To understand what made that era so extraordinary, I turned to my early mentor and fellow veterinarian, Dr. Keith Amiel, who was a scholarship winner himself from the late 1950s. He spoke of a KC preparing men for a new Jamaica as the country strove toward independence. Dr. Amiel related that in those classrooms and corridors, Rev. Gibson and Douglas Forrest were quietly shaping a generation of nation-builders. The staffroom, Amiel recalled, was its own university, filled with intellectual heavyweights like Eric Frater, Joyce Baxter, Vin McKie, E. Barrett, Wesley Whyte, J.A. Crick, Joe Earle, and Stafford Isaac-Henry. Many of these educators would later become principals at other top schools across the island, spreading the KC standard far and wide.
The extraordinary class of 1959 produced a true intellectual giant in Orlando Patterson, who transformed from KC student to Harvard University Professor of Sociology and emerged as one of the most brilliant and influential sociological minds on the global stage. Patterson shattered barriers and made history as only the second black professor ever appointed to Harvard's prestigious faculty, an extraordinary achievement that stands as a testament to both KC's educational excellence and Jamaica's intellectual prowess. His groundbreaking appointment represents not merely personal triumph but a powerful symbol of national pride that continues to inspire generations of Jamaicans to pursue academic greatness without limitation.
Just two years earlier, in 1957, another prodigy had made his mark. Lloyd Demetrius, winner of the Jamaica Scholarship, was a student of rare intellect. His academic journey would take him as a professor to several of the world’s leading institutions, including Harvard, MIT, and the University of Paris, where he would develop the concept of evolutionary entropy, a complex theory that still influences biology and mathematics today.
In that era, among Rev. Gibson and Forrest’s most cherished students was Edward “Bumpy” Clarke. Brilliant and humble, Clarke topped the island in the Senior Cambridge exams when he was only sixteen, but was deemed too young to receive the Jamaica Scholarship. Undeterred, he sat the exams again the following year and again finished first, and this time was awarded the Jamaica Scholarship. He and his close friend Keith Amiel both taught at KC before heading to England on further scholarships. Tragically, Clarke’s promising life ended shortly after he completed his final exams at Cambridge University, drowning in a river near the campus. His memory, however, lives on - etched into the school’s collective heart.
The academic fire sparked in the 1950s never faded. KC continued to produce scholarship winners and high achievers who found success across disciplines, including, but not limited to, medicine, law, engineering, mathematics, and across continents.
In the 1970s, two standout names emerged from a crowded field of talent. Carlos Escoffery stunned everyone in 1972 by completing his A’ Levels in just one year and finishing second in the entire island, earning the Jamaica Independence Scholarship. Then came Stephen Vasciannie, head boy in 1978. While still in sixth form, he sat UWI’s Open Scholarship exam for social science and placed first in the entire Caribbean, thus winning the Open Scholarship. He won the Rhodes Scholarship in 1981 after graduating at the top of his economics class at UWI, Mona, that year. He would later repeat that feat at both Oxford and Cambridge, finishing top of his class at Balliol College, Oxford, and also at Cambridge a few years later; truly a rare and extraordinary accomplishment.
The tradition of excellence extended into the 1990s. In 1991, Mark Young, a recent immigrant from China, astonished his peers and teachers by topping the island in A’ Levels and winning the Jamaica Scholarship. But Young wasn’t just a scholar—he was also a Schools’ Challenge Quiz star, once securing victory for KC by answering questions on Jamaican history and culture. Today, Dr. Young is a leading urologist in Kingston, still giving back to the community that once nurtured him.
KC’s academic legacy remains vibrant in the 21st century. Since 2000, the school has produced a stream of scholarship winners and high achievers. One shining example is Dayne Ashman, son of a KC alumnus, who earned the Jamaica Scholarship in 2006. He studied medicine at UWI and now works as a pathologist in the United States, another testament to a legacy a century in the making.
Those who passed through Kingston College during Rev. Gibson’s tenure speak with deep conviction of his belief that education was not merely about personal advancement; it was a cornerstone of nation-building. KC boys, he insisted, were not just students; they were future leaders, charged with shaping a better Jamaica. Nearly a century later, his vision continues to bear fruit. Rev. Percival Gibson stands among the most influential educators and churchmen in the nation’s history, and the school he founded has upheld his ideals with distinction. Over the past hundred years, Kingston College has consistently delivered academic excellence, nurturing generations of scholars, innovators, and trailblazers. As KC marks its centenary, students and alumni alike carry forward a proud and purposeful legacy. And were Rev. Gibson with us today, he might well remind us: “The dream is not yet fulfilled. The journey that began in 1925 must go on.”