Edward Seaga Collection Handed Over to UWI

Researchers can now access an extensive personal collection of former Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Edward Seaga, which documents aspects of his political career and contribution to Jamaica’s development.

Dubbed, ‘The Edward Seaga Collection’, the material, which includes artefacts illustrative of nearly five decades (1959- 2005), correspondence, scrapbooks, clippings and autographed books, was officially handed over to the University of the West Indies (UWI) library  at the institution’s Regional Headquarters in St. Andrew on March 9.

The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller, other top Government officials and members of the Opposition, including Leader, Andrew Holness.

Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal, UWI, Professor Archibald McDonald, welcomed the collection, noting that it will become part of the Mona campus’ Caribbean Leaders Collection and will provide “a unique gateway into the life’s work, struggles, and contributions of a great Jamaican.”

“In addition to being a resource for articles, books, and other significant publications relating to his work and the development of the Jamaican society, this collection formally acts as a monument to the influence of the university’s Distinguished Fellow,” he said.

Professor McDonald noted that for the academic community, it is befitting of a man of his great stature as it focuses on the sharing and exploration of knowledge that helped to build the foundations of the Jamaican society.

“Similarly, it provides an opportunity for young and inquisitive minds to expand their intellectual knowledge base, while acting as a bridge between the past and future generations,” he said.

In response, Mr. Seaga thanked the university for its continued generosity as he carried out his work as Distinguished Fellow at UWI, and for assistance with cataloguing his vast collection.

“The papers are full of information, full of data, they are full of everything that people want to know and should know about their country and how the country is growing,” he said.

Researchers will be able to easily access any item in the collection through a searchable content list. Interaction with many of the printed documents is facilitated outside the supervised reading rooms through the accessibility of digital surrogates via the library’s catalogue.