The road to establishing Kingston College Day—April 16—was not a straight one. It was a journey marked by setbacks, resilience, and ultimately, triumph. As Secretary of the Kingston College Centenary Committee, I had long harboured the vision of honouring our founder, Bishop Percival Gibson, and the legacy of Kingston College through official national recognition.
Our efforts began in 2023 with a petition to the Governor General requesting that April 16, the school's founding date, be declared Bishop Gibson Day. That request, alongside my ongoing annual nominations for Bishop Gibson to receive the national honour of the Order of Merit, unfortunately did not result in any formal engagement.
But as the 100th anniversary of Kingston College approached, time and opportunity compelled a change in strategy. On February 17, 2025, a new petition was drafted—this time calling for Kingston College Day. This redirection swiftly received the full support of both our Board Chairman, Mr. Michael Vaccianna, and Principal, Mr. Dave Myrie. Their signed letter to His Excellency the Governor General accompanied the petition, succinctly outlining KC's enduring contributions to nation-building.
In an effort to garner broader civic support, copies of the petition were also sent to the Custos and Mayor of Kingston. The Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) later confirmed their decision to support the proposal.
Then, on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, only a day before our centenary, the phone call came—just after I had paid my respects at the wreath-laying ceremonies for Bishop Percival Gibson, and Douglas Forrest - KC's first two headmasters - King's House informed me that the Governor General was inclined to grant the request but required a formal draft of the Proclamation.
My initial draft was deemed too organizational in tone, not sufficiently reflective of Kingston College as a school. Undeterred, I revised it with urgency and care, and by 4:30 p.m. that same afternoon, submitted the new version via email. Just minutes later, I received confirmation that it had been received.
The next day—Wednesday, April 16, 2025—while exiting the KC Chapel after the unveiling of the Kingston College Centenary Commemorative Stamp, I received the call that brought tears to my eyes: "Your proclamation has been signed by the Governor General and is here ready to be picked up."
I rushed to King's House, momentarily forgetting to inform our honoured guest, Mr. Jeremy Corbyn, and his wife Laura, of my absence. Thankfully, Jeremy—ever gracious and at home among Fortis brothers—was understanding.
The second draft of the proclamation had been accepted without a single word changed.
It is with profound gratitude that we thank His Excellency the Governor General, Sir Patrick Allen, for bestowing this signal honour upon Kingston College. By signing the proclamation that makes April 16 Kingston College Day, His Excellency has inscribed the name and legacy of this school into the fabric of the nation.
As we look toward the future, may generations of KC students yet to walk North Street find inspiration in this moment. Let this day remind them that they inherit not only a legacy of excellence and resilience, but a call to leadership, service, and vision.
Petition to the Governor General:
Kingston College Day
Kingston College, established on April 16, 1925, has played an instrumental role in shaping the educational and social landscape of Jamaica. Over the past century, the institution has produced some of the nation's most influential leaders in diverse fields, including education, politics, medicine, law, business, and entertainment. The school has also instilled in its students the values of service, discipline, and academic excellence, making a profound impact not only on its alumni but on the entire Jamaican society.
As we approach Kingston College's centenary anniversary in 2025, it is fitting that we take this opportunity to recognize the school's immense contribution to Jamaica by declaring April 16 as Kingston College Day. This day would serve as a national celebration of the school's enduring legacy, allowing Jamaicans to reflect on the values and achievements of the institution that has produced so many of the country's leaders and visionaries.
Declaring April 16 as Kingston College Day would also provide an opportunity to recognize the importance of education in shaping the future of Jamaica and the role that institutions like Kingston College continue to play in this process. We believe this national recognition is not only well-deserved but also essential in encouraging future generations to uphold the principles of excellence, integrity, and service that Kingston College has championed for 100 years.
We respectfully submit this petition for consideration and look forward to your favourable response.
A PROCLAMATION
By His Excellency the Most Honourable
Sir PATRICK LINTON ALLEN,
Member of the Order of the Nation,
Knight Grand Cross of the Most
Distinguished Order of Saint Michael
and Saint George, Commander of the
Order of Distinction, Knight of Grace
of the Most Venerable Order of the
Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem,
Governor-General of Jamaica.
GOVERNOR-GENERAL
WHEREAS Kingston College, established on the Sixteenth day of April in the year Nineteen Hundred and Twenty-Five, is celebrating the One Hundredth Anniversary of its founding:
AND WHEREAS Kingston College was founded by Bishop Percival Gibson to provide a high-quality education to boys of all backgrounds, regardless of means or social standing, and has since stood as a model of academic excellence, moral formation, and social mobility in Jamaica:
AND WHEREAS the school has, over the course of one hundred years, made an indelible mark on Jamaica's educational, social, cultural, and political life, producing generations of distinguished Jamaicans who have served with honour in the fields of medicine, law, politics, business, education, religion, sports, and the arts:
AND WHEREAS Kingston College has exemplified discipline, service, and intellectual rigour, and is renowned for cultivating in its students the spirit of Fortis—a resilient ethos captured in its motto Fortis Cadere Cedere Non Potest, "The brave may fall but never yield", a mentality that has led its students to triumph often against great odds in academic and co-curricular pursuits:
AND WHEREAS in the year Two Thousand, on the occasion of its Seventy-Fifth Anniversary, Kingston College was the first school to be conferred with the Keys to the City of Kingston, an honour bestowed by the then Mayor of Kingston, Her Worship the Late Marie Atkins, in recognition of the institution's outstanding contribution to the capital and to national life:
AND WHEREAS the school's numerous contributions to the development of the City of Kingston and the nation at large, along with its century of service to youth, education, and nation-building, are worthy of national recognition and celebration.
NOW THEREFORE, I, PATRICK LINTON ALLEN, Member of the Order of the Nation, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Commander of the Order of Distinction, Knight of Grace of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, Governor-General of Jamaica, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM the 16th day of April annually as KINGSTON COLLEGE DAY, and urge all citizens of Jamaica to join with the school community in commemorating the founding of Kingston College, reflecting on its legacy, and celebrating its continued pursuit of excellence and service to the nation.
Given under my hand at King's House this 15th day of April in the year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Twenty-Five.
By Patrick Dallas, Secretary, KC Centenary Committee