Clement T. Maynard

Sir Clement T. Maynard, (11 September 1928 – 2 October 2009), was a Deputy Prime Minister of the Bahamas (1985–92), and deputy leader of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP). His public career ran the gamut from trade unionist to Senator to Member of Parliament.

Maynard was one of only two people, the other Sir Lynden Pindling, to serve in every Bahamian cabinet post, which he did between 18 January 1967 to 18 August 1992.

He was also the father of former Attorney-General Allyson Maynard Gibson.

Life and political career Clement Travelyan Maynard, Jr, was born in 1928 in Nassau, Bahamas, the son of Clement Travelyan Maynard, a builder from Barbados (d. 1945), and suffragist Georgianna Kathleen Symonette (1902–1965). He was educated in the Bahamas as well as in the US and in Britain.

He joined the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) in 1954, and from 1959 to 1967 he was the founding president of the Bahamas Public Services Union. Of the 29 years he spent in the House of Assembly, 25 were as a Cabinet Minister. (22 October 1979 – 8 October 1984); Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism (9 October 1984 – 8 October 1987); Deputy Prime Minister (29 October 1985 – 18 August 1992); Minister of Tourism and Public Personnel (9 October 1987 – 30 September 1990); and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Public Personnel (1 October 1990 – 18 August 1992). described as "an important addition to the known sources of information about the most important period in the building of the modern Bahamas". the daughter of Dr Roland and Meta Davis Cumberbatch, Peter, Allyson, David and Clement III. Maynard also had a daughter Andrea from a previous relationship.

Death and legacy Having suffered a stroke in 2008 and been hospitalised for some time, he died at home on 2 October 2009, three weeks after his 81st birthday. He was given a state funeral on 14 October 2009.

Paying tribute at the House of Assembly, then Prime Minister Hubert A. Ingraham said: "Sir Clement is perhaps best remembered as a legendary Minister of Tourism, a portfolio for which he held responsibility on two occasions for a total of 16 years. There are numerous top, award-winning, advertising, public relations, promotional, training and tourism awareness campaigns, for which he must be credited. They include: 'It’s Better in The Bahamas' – undoubtedly one of the most widely-recognized advertising slogan in the world The Bahama Host Training Program – which has trained 33,700 persons The People-to-People Programme Goombay Summer which was the longest running and most successful promotional/folkloric campaign that transformed The Bahamas into a year-round tourism destination National Tourism Achievement Awards."

On 8 July 2013, a housing development named in honour of Sir Clement Maynard and his son Julian Maynard was opened by Prime Minister Perry Christie, who said in his keynote address: "This is the first estate to be named in honour of two people and is done for specific reasons. One reason is to highlight that change, that working to make a difference in your country is a multi-generational process; it is a family affair. Sir Clement is well known throughout our country for his political activism and ultimately for his key role in the new Commonwealth of The Bahamas. He has the distinction of being the longest serving Minister of Tourism and in many ways, laid and built upon the foundations of modern Bahamian tourism."