GraceKennedy

In 1982, to mark its 60th Anniversary, GraceKennedy Limited. established the Grace, Kennedy Foundation as a Corporate-endowed Foundation.

Second meeting of the Board of Directors held on January 11, 1983
Left to right: Rev. C.S. Reid, Mrs. F. Sharpe, Mr. Peter Moss-Solomon, Sir Herbert Duffus (Chairman), Mrs. Marjorie Humphreys (Secretary), Mr. J. Moss-Solomon, Mr. C. D. R. Bovell, Prof. Gladstone Mills, absent from Photograph, Miss Mabel Tenn.

The Foundation began with an initial grant of $500,000 provided by its parent company, and with Sir Herbert Duffus as its Chairman.

The first few years were formative in nature. The early months were spent in developing policy guidelines and identifying areas. For the first three years, the Foundation focused on three specific areas of interest. These were Community Services, Education and Our Heritage. Initially the Foundation responded to requests received, rather than attempting to initiate activities.

By January 1983 the Foundation received its first requests and issued grants to the Hyacinth Lightbourne Memorial Association, the Women's Centre Programme for Adolescent Mothers, and the Physics Department of The University of the West Indies.

In 1984, the Foundation assumed full responsibility for the GraceKennedy Scholarship, which had been established in 1980. In that same year, it initiated a special post-graduate award known as the Luis Fred Kennedy Scholarship.

Towards the late 80s, the Foundation began the gradual shift of its focus from community services to education in order to solidify its long-term impact on Jamaica's development.

In 1988 it launched its Annual Lecture Series. The first lecture was held in 1989 with distinguished economist the Hon. G. Arthur Brown as the inaugural presenter.

In April 1989, Professor Gladstone Mills assumed the position of Chairman of the Foundation, following the retirement of Sir Herbert Duffus.

Following the death of Carlton Alexander in 1989, GraceKennedy established the Carlton Alexander Memorial Fund with a grant of $4.5 million under the administration of the Foundation. The first awards went to institutions with which the late Chairman had strong links during his lifetime. These included a bursary scheme for the children of staff of GraceKennedy Limited; an annual scholarship to graduates of Jamaica College, and the endowment of the Carlton Alexander Chair to the University of the West Indies' Department of Management Studies.

The endowment enabled the UWI to recruit a professor to strengthen the research and teaching capability of the Department. Professor Gordon Shirley was the first appointee to the Chair. In 1992, the James Moss-Solomon, Snr. Chair in Environmental Management was established and entrusted to the Foundation. The following year, Dr. Elizabeth Thomas-Hope was appointed Professor of the James Moss-Solomon Snr. Chair.

In 2002, following the retirement of Professor Mills, Peter Moss-Solomon became Chairman of the Foundation. In that same year the Foundation staged the Inaugural Youth Symposium which was very successfully received. The symposium has since been scheduled into the Foundation's activities as a biennial event. Stalwart GraceKennedy Foundation Director, Bruce Rickards died that year and a scholarship to a student from his alma mater, Kingston College, was established in his name.

The Foundation established the Adrian Barrington Wallace Memorial Trophy in 2006, at his alma mater Calabar High School. This was specifically for a student who had excelled in the CXC exams and in sports. The trophy was accompanied with a cash award to assist the student through sixth form.

The Foundation has grown tremendously over the past 26 years with the leadership and guidance of a number of outstanding Jamaicans. In 2008, we saw the ‘changing of the guard’ with Peter Moss-Solomon retiring as Chairman of the Board and passing on the responsibility to Professor Elsa Leo-Rhynie. (He still remains a Director of the Foundation). In addition, the executive director, Pat Robinson, who steered the ship for seventeen years, retired.