‘THE CONTRACT’ AND STUDYING ARCHITECTURE

“All the young men in America went to the war and there was a lack of labour in the farms and factories and at the time the Duke of Windsor arranged for workers in the Caribbean to come to the States on contract to work and so I and my brother decided to go on the contract and at that time I was a young carpenter. I went on the contract, and I met a friend who I had known in Nassau before and while we were out there on the contract, this friend said to me, “Zonicle you know, you can become an architect.” I said, “what you talking about? An architect?” He said, “you are a carpenter. You are on the road already.” I said, “Bernard, I don’t understand that.” He said, “all you have to do is . . . enroll in architecture to the American School in Chicago. That’s all you got to do. Send an application stating what you want to do and then they will look at it and if they are satisfied with your application, they will accept you. And they will send you an acceptance.” I did that and in a couple weeks I had received that I was qualified to enroll for architecture and so I began. . . . And when I sent in my first examination . . . 100%. That’s right, and about two years later my contract was up and so I went back home with all my lessons and equipment.”

Bishop Joseph Alexander Zonicle, J.P. 1919- 2022