Cyril Stevenson

Cyril St. John Stevenson (July 13, 1914 – November 6, 2006) was a Bahamian politician and newspaper publisher. He was a journalist and the owner of the Nassau Herald. Together with Henry Milton Taylor and William Cartwright, Stevenson co-founded the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) in 1953, the first political party in the Bahamas. He served as a member of parliament from 1956 to 1967. After his retirement from politics, he led the Bahamas Information Services from 1970 to 1985. He was the youngest child of Henry Macauley "Harry" Stevenson and Georgianna Louise "Lulie" Stevenson. His father died in 1915 when he was just fifteen months old. In December 1952, Stevenson was appointed as a member of the Hurricane Relief Committee.

In 1953, William Cartwright, owner of The Bahamas Review, purchased the now defunct newspaper, The Nassau Herald, and Stevenson became editor. Later that year, Stevenson and Cartwright travelled to London to cover the coronation. While there, they met with representatives of the Labour Party. Stevenson became Secretary-General of the party;

In 1954, Stevenson became the owner of The Nassau Herald. the lower house of parliament, from the Andros and the Berry Islands constituency. In addition, there was a corporation vote allowing companies to vote. In his minority report, Stevenson made his position clear, that elections "to the General Assembly should be based on the [simple] principle of... one person, one vote." Weeks before a vote in the House of Assembly, Stevenson’s house was shot at. He retired from politics after his 1967 electoral defeat, In 1982, he was also made a Knight Commander and Knight Grand Cross of Malta.

He received an award for contributions to journalism by the Bahamas Press Club in 1999. In 2000, Jones Communication Limited also named Stevenson one of the 100 Most Outstanding Bahamians of the 20th century.

Death and legacy Cyril Stevenson died on November 6, 2006 at the age of 92. He was survived by his wife of 47 years, June Ellen Stevenson (née Maplethorpe), and five children. A state funeral was held at Christ Church Cathedral in Nassau on November 16, 2006.