July 7th 1913-August 21st. 2020

Calvin James Mc Donald Smith was born in Tucker’s Town Bermuda the son of Maxwell Pearman and Ruth L Burgess (Smith) . The family later moved to Radnor Road Hamilton Parish. At an early age he attended Temperance Hall School and in 1945 at the age of eleven he qualified for a Government Scholarship that allowed him to attend the Berkeley Institute. He graduated from Berkeley in 1950 and worked as a waiter at Castle Harbour for a short while before going on to teach at Harrington Sound Primary School. After two years of teaching he received a scholarship to attend Hamilton Teacher’s College in Hamilton Ontario, where a new world was opened up to him. His experience at the Teacher’s College made him aware of the many opportunities available to Non-Whites in Canada which was not available in Bermuda.

In 1954 Calvin furthered his education and enrolled in the Economics programme at Queens University in Kingston Ontario. He graduated from Queen’s University and after much persistence was employed in a temporary position as statistician Canada. Calvin worked hard and queried a permanent position in 1960. It was while working as a statistician in Canada, he was encouraged by two local lawyers to apply for a newly created Bermuda Government Statistician position. The Government Lord Mortonmere, travelled to Toronto to interview Calvin and reveled that the position was his if he wanted it and that He, the Governor had travelled to Canada to persuade him to return home.

In 1965 Calvin was hired as the first Chief Statistician for the Government of Bermuda. His obtaining this position was monumental as there were few black Bermudians serving in Government positions at the time. In this role he created the Department of Statisticians which he led until he retired in January 1980 to pursue his political endeavours. In his role as chief statisticians, he was a consummate professional and took immediate steps to build the capacity of the Government Statistical Department by recruiting young and talented Bermudians and hiring seasoned Statisticians from England, Ghana and Jamaica in the area of Mathematical, Statistics, Economic. and demography.

The Department’s work programme under Calvin’s direction included the first census of business establishments, the first household expenditure survey and population projections. He stood amongst the best in his chosen field. In 1980, Calvin won a seat on behalf of the Bermuda Progressive Labour Party and served for two years. He also accepted a part-time position at the Bermuda Industrial Union as a Research Officer. He had a stint as the Historian of the Bermuda Industrial Union. In 1983, following a snap election Calvin lost his seat but continued to help behind the scene to organized the Credit Union. In 1996, he was appointed Co-Chairman of the Progressive Labour Party Campaign Committee along with Larry Burchall, together they managed the victorious P.L.P campaign of 1998. He served the party in the Bermuda Senate until his term ended in 2003. In 2001 he retired from the Bermuda Industrial Credit Union.

Calvin was a Black Belt in Judo and had been instructing youth in the art and life lessons of the Sport. He wrote a column for the Bermuda Royal Gazette, served on the School Boards of the Berkeley Institute and Warwick Academy. He served as President of the Pembroke Hamilton Club from 1976- 1981, and served as Director of the Bermuda Football Association. He also had the privilege to serve on the Committee to recommend recipients for the Bermuda Rhodes Scholarship.

Calvin was a super son of the soil and helped his fellowmen for that alone he was highly admired.

Researched by Joy Wilson-Tucker Historian