By Dmitri Allicock
A measure of success of a school must be how far and to what heights students’ progress, and how widely and deeply they remember those formative years and outstanding faculty. By such a measure, the Mackenzie High has achieved great indeed under the administration of formidable principal John Joseph Cummings.
On September 11, 1959, the 1946 Echols High was renamed Mackenzie High School and the new campus of MHS was declared opened on Purpleheart Street, Mackenzie by Balram Singh Rai, then minister of education and community development.
The structure was financed by the Demerara Bauxite Co. (DEMBA) and built by Sprostons Construction Company to the architectural design of Messrs Mence and Moore, and provided the community with its first secondary school.
MHS aspired to emulate Guyana’s best – Queens College in Georgetown. It was a privilege to be a student of this school where high standards were encouraged at all times with equipped classrooms, great teachers, supplies, manicure lawn and landscape, cleanliness and sharp looking students who enjoyed the comforts of a modern North American style high school, 65 miles up the Demerara River. My entire family of six siblings, and my mother, attended this institution.
Guyana’s Prime Minister, Sam Hinds, who served as president of Guyana in 1997, said this regarding MHS: “My first trip to Mackenzie was in 1960, as a member of a group of boys from Queens College who visited the new MHS during its first year… After graduation, I spent the formative years of my working life in the bauxite industry. Linden is therefore my home town too, as much as, if not more than, any other place.”
Dr Rudolph Grant, professor of New York University, and a former teacher at MHS, proudly recalled: “During August of 1960, I applied for a teaching position at MHS. In Sept 1961, two other UWI graduates joined me as new members. The late John Cummings, who became principal and the late Eirene O’Jon, a brilliant historian and educator, made their mark. It was a period of transition. Couchman, the Blairs, Corbin, the Edwards, Allicock, Thomas, Figueira, to name a few, were encouraged not to stop studying. And besides all the Mathematics, Chemistry, French and history they learned, they made sure to remember that lesson. DEMBA provided scholarships, and parents, in important ways, contributed to the school success, Today, graduates of MHS have distinguished themselves all over the world. The teachers too, moved ahead. Critchlow, Pallackdarry, Haddad, Siegfred, Wharton and others left for overseas Universities. It was exciting, those times. Many mouths were fed and many minds in many parts of Guyana were educated with the help of DEMBA employees. I am sure you would like to join in thanking all those who, in those relatively early years contributed.”
Prior to the establishment of the ‘A’ level classes, students who qualified to enter the sixth form had to seek admission to Senior Secondary Schools in Georgetown such as Bishop’s High School and Queen’s College to write their ‘A’ levels. DEMBA offered scholarships to those students who qualified for entry to those schools.
John Joseph Cummings soon joined the teacher staff of MHS in 1961, having attended Tutorial High, the Government Teachers Training College and the University of the West Indies where he obtained an honours degree in History. John Cummings represented a special time of transformation of education in the community and is symbolic of the best times for MHS.
Cummings’s exemplary service and magnetic personality rewarded him with the historic appointment of being the first Guyanese-born principal on March 1, 1965. This day was also significant for Cummings and his wife Beryl, as their daughter Carleen was born earlier that morning. This enabled him to proudly announce her birth at the commencement of school that morning.
His appointment of principal followed head teachers/principals E.U. Wilson and Eddie Gunraj (1946-1952), Milroy Victor (1952), Dr Dennis Craig (1956), D.D. Sim (1956-1960) and William Ogle (1960-1965).
Cummings served in several social and cultural organisations in the Mackenzie area. He was Assistant Secretary of the Watooka Management Club, Chairman of the Friends of MHS, First Vice President of the Upper Demerara Football Association and Secretary of the Sherwood Court Ancient Order of the Foresters.
Under his administration, four new classrooms were added to the building. GCE Advance Level classes were introduced in 1966 and the first students, Daniel Baker and Lennox Richardson completed their ‘A’ levels with major successes. The second group of students included my sister; Joycelyn, Daphne Casey, Johnnie Wilson and Irwin Allicock, who had transferred from Preston High School, were also equally successful.
Cummings was also a loving father and found great pleasure in his children. On October 26, 1971, he was returning from Georgetown on the Linden/Soesdyke Highway when a reckless driver caused his vehicle to crash. He died five days later on November 1, 1971, at the Mackenzie Hospital as a result of his injuries. He was just 39 years old.
The overwhelming shock and grief was felt by the entire school and community. Scores of staff and students cried openly with painful emotions still remembered onto this day. Bus loads of students and staff journeyed to the east coast of Guyana where dear Cummings was lovingly laid to rest. I was privileged as a Form One student to be selected to attend the funeral.
With the tragic loss of MHS icon, Cummings left a void in the hearts and minds of the students to fill.
