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Delford George Morgan - Rising from the clutches of poverty
published: Tuesday | October 7, 2003


Morgan: Were it not for a good education, I would not be the person I am today. It was through education that I was able to make the transformation from poverty to a little comfort, so I see this as the best way to give something that ultimately will lead to the transformation of society on a whole.

WESTERN BUREAU:

IT TAKES a determined man like Delford George Morgan to rise from the clutches of poverty to be, in his words, "sitting on top of the world."

That is how Mr. Morgan, the Mayor of Savanna-la-Mar, described his feelings after he collected the Governor-General's Achievement Award for the parish of Westmoreland in the county of Cornwall. His service and acts of goodwill to the community around him earned him this award, but Mr. Morgan insists that he was just giving back to the society what he had received in his time of need.

"I am just somebody who has benefited a lot from this country... who has had tremendous help from a number of persons and I have always credited what I have achieved to the work of others and of course, God. So I see myself as having no choice but to give back a little every now and then," he said.

Born in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, on April 12, 1961, Mr. Morgan is the first of five children for his mother, Avis Coleman, nee Maxwell. Being the first child for his mother, and without a father figure around, he had to assist in supporting himself and his younger siblings. His mother, who was an ancillary worker at the Savanna-la-Mar Hospital, provided very little income for the family.

FIRST PAIR OF SHOES

It was only after he had passed the Common Entrance Examination that Mr. Morgan received his first pair of shoes, bought by his grandmother. Despite the struggles through school, he recalls with gratitude, the kind and father-like principal of his alma mater Manning's High, Herbert Neita, and the unforgettable Euphemia Williams, who both gave valuable lessons in the virtue of service, to school and community.

After graduating from Manning's, he entered the University of the West Indies, but financial obligations to himself and to his family, would only allow him to study part time. His legal career began in 1982, when he was appointed Deputy Clerk of Courts, followed by a promotion in 1984, to Acting Clerk of Courts. He remained in that position until 1987, when he entered the UWI Faculty of Law funded by a Government Scholarship. After obtaining his LL.B (Honours) in 1990, Mr. Morgan did post-graduate studies at Cave Hill, Barbados, and later attended the Norman Manley Law School.

INVESTMENT IN EDUCATION

Today, he attributes much of his success to his investment in education.

"Were it not for a good education, I would not be the person I am today. It was through education that I was able to make the transformation from poverty to a little comfort, so I see this as the best way to give something that ultimately will lead to the transformation of society on a whole," he noted.

Mr. Morgan has been a Partner in the law firm Brown, Godfrey & Morgan since 1995. He entered representational politics in 1998 and has been a Parish Councillor since then. Earlier this year, he retained his seat in the Local Government elections, and was appointed Mayor of Savanna-la-Mar and Chairman of the Westmoreland Parish Council. He is married, and is the father of five children.

He has been a strong supporter and sponsor of several social and sporting activities in the parish of Westmoreland. Additionally, he contributes generously of his time and money to help relieve suffering among the less fortunate, and to assist needy students to attend high schools in the parish. However, he hardly expected to be honoured for his efforts.

"It was really a surprise to hear about the award. I feel on top of the world. I am very grateful and happy," he said. "I realise that it places tremendous responsibility on me to continue what I am doing and to encourage others who can give to begin doing so."

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