50 years ago, 19th July, 1973, just 9 days after Independence, Bahamians went to the Polls to elect a Representative for the Bain Town Constituency in a Bye Election.
The Constituency Seat was left vacant by the Resignation of Milo Boughton Butler in May 1973.
The PLP named Dr. Norman Rupert Gay as it’s candidate against the FNM candidate Clifford Michael Cooper and Vanguard Nationalist Socialist Party, Wesley Campell in a three way race.
Dr. Gay was a class of 1965 Graduate of Loma Linda University of Medicine, California.
Dr. Gay won 886 Votes, polling 92% of the Votes cast, handily defeating his rivals, Cooper with 59 Votes and Campbell with 18 Votes.
- Dr. Gay became the first Bahamian to win an election in an Independent Bahamas.*
As the longest serving Minister of Health (1984 – 1990) he achieved a Grant based initiative to complete a 40 Volume for Health in this Country.
He created The Bahamas AIDS Secretariat.
He was Chairman of the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) and a Presenter at the World Health Organization (WHO)
He led the creation of a Nursing School that became the Nursing Program at the University of The Bahamas.
As The Bahamas Minister of Sports, Dr. Gay guided the Boxing Act through Parliament, resulting in the legislated body called The Bahamas Boxing Commission. He also served as the Chairman of the Commission from 2003 – 2007.
Dr. Gay is a Champion Bodybuilder and an exceptional Volleyball Player.
Friday, November 2013, during The Bahamas 40th Anniversary of Independence, Dr. Gay was inducted into the Class of 2013 National Sports Hall of Fame with 20 others including Hon. Kendal Nottage who held the Sports Portfolio for more than 20 years.
As the Medical Director of The Bahamas Health Institute, and Renaissance Anti-Aging Physician, Dr. Gay has long promoted a holistic approach to health.
He stated “I want to have a national health education program endorsed and put into practice in The Bahamas.”
Just My Five Cents
Franklyn G. Ferguson
BahamasLocal
The Tribune
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