Tribute
College Council Chair: Mr. T. B. Donaldson
Pontifical Concelebrated Eucharist of Thanksgiving for the Life of the Late Rt. Rev. Michael Hartley Eldon
Tuesday February 15, 2011
Christ Church Cathedral
15 February 2011
The Rt. Rev. Michael Hartley Eldon was the founding Chairman of The College of The Bahamas Council, to which he gave twenty years (1975 – 1995) of dedicated, selfless service and visionary leadership.
Established by an Act of Parliament in 1974, the creation of The College of The Bahamas closely reflected the goals of nation building of a newly independent Bahamas.
When The College first opened its doors in September 1975 it did so under the steady watch of Bishop Eldon. There were some 2,000 students enrolled in Associate degree programmes, but the majority of students were enrolled in diploma and certificate programmes and GCE 'A' Level courses.
By the time Bishop Eldon completed his service in 1995, The College was on the eve of its historic autonomy. In 1995, The College had an alumni population of nearly 6,000. By that year The College had progressed to the position where it offered three Associate degrees in Arts, Science and Applied Science; and its first baccalaureate degrees: A bachelor in Business Administration in Banking & Finance and Accounting. The College also offered the bachelor's degree in Management and a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. By that year, The College also jointly
offered a Bachelor of Education degree with the University of West Indies.
All of these changes taken together transformed the profile of our educational system, which has and today continues to make use of the talents of thousands of highly skilled and well trained Bahamian educators.
Those are facts of his tenure with The College of The Bahamas, but what of his legacy? What has been his bequest to us?
In his living, in the great giving that has defined his life, his bequest is boundless.
It is because of Bishop Eldon and the many that stood with him that our College stands firm on a pledge of KNOWLEDGE - TRUTH - INTEGRITY; a pledge which defined the virtue, with which he led, motivated and inspired generations of Bahamians in search of a better life through advanced educational training.
Today The College's alumni population is nearly 11,000. Approximately 5,000 students are enrolled predominantly in four-year baccalaureate degree programmes, including The College's own Bachelor of Education degree. The College has also facilitated seven master's degree programmes in collaboration with US based colleges and universities; and last Fall introduced its first graduate degree: The College of The Bahamas MBA.
Bishop Eldon's bequests to us are standards of excellence, perseverance and the indomitable spirit of hope.
In 1975, his charge to this country was to build an institution that met a national need for better
educated and more highly skilled citizens, to support and drive an ever expanding and evolving economy. He gave us that and he also gave us an uplifted and proud people in every graduate The College produced.
I recall some of his words on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of The College in 1995 as he wound down his leadership, when he very aptly asserted, "The Commonwealth of The Bahamas has an institution of higher learning which brings credit to it and of which it should be justly proud. The College of The Bahamas is worthy of the continued support of us all."
On December 10, 2004, The College of The Bahamas honoured its Founding Chairman with the title of Chairman Emeritus; a lifetime symbol for contributions that enriched thousands of lives including many who are today's leaders and innovators.
On January 19, 2006, the naming of the very first acquisition of an independent College that he helped build, was further recognition of Bishop Eldon's contributions to The College of The Bahamas. This structure, our Michael H. Eldon Complex, houses our Faculty of Education and Social Studies; disciplines that very closely reflect the ideals of development that he so strongly represented.
Bishop Eldon unfortunately was unable to attend the ceremony which marked this naming. But his sister and College President Emerita, Dr Keva Bethel spoke on his behalf. She told persons present that "he viewed his service to The College as an integral component of his personal contribution to the full development of the spiritual, intellectual and material growth of a newly independent Bahamian people."
Bishop Eldon's name and legacy will be forever linked to The College of The Bahamas and fittingly so. Because institutions of learning are like living, breathing organisms; it's the very beauty of learning, it's in constant evolution and its boundless wealth transcends generations. So too will the life and legacy of Bishop Eldon.
I feel sure that during his lifetime he must have repeated many times the following prayer:
"Teach us Good Lord to serve Thee as Thou deservest. To give and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed the wounds; to toil and not to seek for rest; to labour and not to ask for any reward, save that of knowing that we do Thy will."
Bishop Eldon spent his entire life doing God's will. May the soul of this beloved and humble servant forever rest in peace.
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