Kendal Isaacs

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Sir Kendal George Lamon Isaacs, KCMG, CBE, QC (23 July 1925 – 25 May 1996) was a notable Bahamian lawyer and politician. He served as Leader of the Opposition for much of the 1980s.

Early life and education[edit]

Born and raised in Nassau, Isaacs attended Government High School in Nassau where he was captain of Montague House.[1]

Isaacs served in the North Caribbean Force during World War II and then went to England to study law.[2] He received a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws from Queens' College, Cambridge, in 1949 and a Master of Arts in 1953.

Legal career[edit]

Isaacs was admitted to the Bar of England and Wales at the Middle Temple in 1946.[citation needed]

In 1961, Isaacs was appointed Solicitor-General of the Bahamas; a post in which he served until 1963 when he became the country's Attorney-General.[2][3][4]

Isaacs took silk when he was made Queen's Counsel on 21 August 1968.[2][5]

Political career[edit]

Isaacs's first foray into politics came in 1965 when he was appointed to the Senate of the Bahamas.[4] In June 1972, Isaacs was elected to the House of Assembly of the Bahamas for the Free National Movement party.[4]

Isaacs served as leader of the opposition from 1971 to 1976 and again from 1981 to 1987.[3][4]

His agitation resulted in the 1984 Royal Commission of Inquiry into Drug Trafficking and Government Corruption but did not result in the ouster of the Pindling-led PLP government until 1992.[2]

Personal life[edit]

Isaacs was an accomplished tennis player. In 1955, he and his nephew, Robert, were the third ranked men's doubles team in the American Tennis Association rankings.[6] He was instrumental in the formation of the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association in 1961 and served as its first president until 1966.[7][8]

He was also the brother-in-law of suffragist and politician, Dame Bertha Isaacs.

Honours and legacy[edit]

Appointed a Commander of the British Empire in June 1970 while Vice-President of the Senate,[2][9] Isaacs was appointed a Knight Commander of Order of St Michael and St George in the Queen's 1993 New Year's Honours List.[2][10]

In 1990, the Kendal G L Isaacs Gymnasium was opened at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre and named in his honour.[11]

References/Notes and references[edit]

  1. ^ Fawkes, Sir Randol (2003). The Faith that Moved the Mountain (Memorial ed.). Nassau, Bahamas. p. 14.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Obituaries (1) Sir Kendal Isaacs 1925-1996". Fairfax Media. Sydney Morning Herald. 14 June 1996. p. 31.
  3. ^ a b "Obituary: Sir Kendal Isaacs". London, England: Independent Print Ltd. The Independent (UK). 28 May 1996.
  4. ^ a b c d Gunson, Phil; et al. (1991). The Dictionary of Contemporary Politics of Central America and the Caribbean (2015 Reprint ed.). Routledge. p. 181. ISBN 1317270541. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  5. ^ https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/44668/page/9591 London Gazette, Issue 44668
  6. ^ "Althea Gibson still ATA Racquet Queen: Detroiter 2d in junior singles". No. Pages 4 and 5. The Detroit Tribune. January 22, 1955. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  7. ^ "Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association History". Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association. Retrieved 2021-10-04.
  8. ^ "BLTA Past Presidents". Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association.
  9. ^ https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/45117/supplement/6382 London Gazette, Issue 45117
  10. ^ https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/53155/supplement/37 London Gazette, Issue 53155
  11. ^ "The Kendal G. L. Isaacs National Gymnasium | The Official Site of The Bahamas". www.bahamas.com. Archived from the original on 2016-06-27.

External links[edit]

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