The Order of Distinction is a national order in the Jamaican honours system. It is the sixth in order of precedence of the Orders of Societies of Honour, which were instituted by an Act of Parliament (''The National Honours and Awards Act'') in 1968. The motto of the Order is "Distinction Through Service".
The Order of Distinction is conferred upon citizens of Jamaica who have rendered outstanding and important services to Jamaica, or to distinguished citizens of a country other than Jamaica."National Awards of Jamaica" , Jamaica Information Service, accessed 12 May 2015. The former are made Members of the Order, and the latter are made Honorary Members.
The Order has two ranks: the higher class of Commander, and the lower class of Officer. Commanders take place and precedence immediately after Members and Honorary Members of the
Order of Jamaica
The Order of Jamaica is the fifth of the six orders in the Jamaican honours system. The Order was established in 1969, and it is considered the equivalent of a knighthood in the British honours system.
Membership in the Order can be conferred upon ...
. A Member or Honorary Member may be promoted from the rank of Officer to that of Commander.
Commanders of the Order of Distinction are entitled to use the
post-nominal letters
Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials, post-nominal titles, designatory letters or simply post-nominals, are letters placed after a person's name to indicate that the individual holds a position, academic degree, accreditation, ...
CD in the case of Members, or CD (Hon.) in the case of Honorary Members. Officers of the Order of Distinction are entitled to use the post-nominal letters OD in the case of Members, or OD (Hon.) in the case of Honorary Members.
Officers
Art
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Carl Abrahams
Carl Myrie Abrahams OD (14 May 1911 – 10 April 2005) was a Jamaican painter from Saint Andrew Parish.
Biography
Abrahams was born in St Andrew, Jamaica to a middle class family. He began his career in commercial art at the age of 17 as a ca ...
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Gloria Escoffery
Gloria Escoffery OD (22 December 1923 – 24 April 2002) was a Jamaican painter, poet and art critic active in the 1940s and 1950s.
Biography
Born in Gayle, Saint Mary Parish, Jamaica, the youngest of three children of Dr. William T. Escoffery, ...
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Christopher González
Christopher González OD (1943 – 2 August 2008) was a Jamaican expressionistic sculptor and painter.
Biography
González was born in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1943. He had a Puerto Rican father and Jamaican mother. González graduated in 1963 ...
Heather Little-White
Heather Little-White (8 May 1952 – 22 January 2013) was a Jamaican nutritionist, journalist and disabilities activist. After earning degrees in nutrition and communication, she worked with Grace Kitchens and founded the television program ''Cre ...
Journalism
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Charles Kinkead
Charles Kinkead OD (3 October 1913 – 1 June 2007) was a Jamaican photojournalist and journalist, whose career spanned more than four decades.
Born Charles Harold Austin Kinkead, he worked as a news photographer for a number of Jamaican public ...
Law
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Lloyd Stanbury
Lloyd, Lloyd's, or Lloyds may refer to:
People
* Lloyd (name), a variation of the Welsh word ' or ', which means "grey" or "brown"
** List of people with given name Lloyd
** List of people with surname Lloyd
* Lloyd (singer) (born 1986), American ...
Prince Buster
Cecil Bustamente Campbell (24 May 1938 – 8 September 2016), known professionally as Prince Buster, was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and producer. The records he released in the 1960s influenced and shaped the course of Jamaican contemporary ...
Carl Brady
Byron Lee and the Dragonaires (known as Byron Lee's Dragonaires after Lee's death and now The Dragonaires) are a Jamaican ska, calypso and soca band. The band played a crucial pioneering role in bringing Caribbean music to the world. Byron ...
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Lloyd Brevett
Lloyd Brevett OD (1 August 1931 – 3 May 2012) was a Jamaican double bassist, songwriter, and a founding member of The Skatalites. He was a Rastafarian, and the uncle of The Melodians member, Tony Brevett.Lennie Hibbert
Lennie Hibbert OD (born Leonard Aloysius Hibbert, 12 November 1928 - 8 September 1984)tropicmusic.com was a Jamaican musician who was bandmaster at the Alpha Cottage School, and also a vibraphone virtuoso, recording two albums for Studio One.
...
Roland Alphonso
Roland Alphonso OD or Rolando Alphonso "The Chief Musician" (12 January 1931 – 20 November 1998)Thompson, p. 262 was a Jamaican tenor saxophonist, and one of the founding members of the Skatalites.
Biography
Born in Havana, Cuba, Alphonso c ...
Phil Chen
Phillip David Chen (21 October 1946 – 14 December 2021) was a Jamaican bassist. He was one of England's most utilized session bassists during the 1970s and 1980s, including Jeff Beck, and the Rod Stewart band from 1977 to 1980, but is prob ...
Derrick Morgan
Derrick Morgan (born 27 March 1940)Walters, Basil (2012)A New Day – Songs heralding JA’s Independence", '' Jamaica Observer'', 3 June 2012, retrieved 3 June 2012 is a Jamaican musical artist who was popular in the 1960s and 1970s. He worke ...
Steven Woodham
Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; h ...
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Sean Paul
Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques OD (born 9 January 1973) is a Jamaican rapper and singer who is regarded as one of dancehall's most prolific artists.
Paul's singles "Get Busy" and "Temperature" topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in the ...
Chris Chin
Chris is a short form of various names including Christopher, Christian, Christina, Christine, and Christos. Chris is also used as a name in its own right, however it is not as common.
People with the given name
*Chris Abani (born 1966), Nige ...
Mighty Diamonds
The Mighty Diamonds were a Jamaican harmony trio, recording roots reggae with a strong Rastafarian influence. The group was formed in 1969 and were best known for their 1976 debut album, ''Right Time'', produced by Joseph Hoo Kim, and the 1979 ...
St. William Grant
William Wellington Wellwood Grant OD (1894 – 27 August 1977) was a Jamaican labour activist. He was known as "St. William Grant", "St." presumably meaning "Sergeant" in reference to his military or UNIA service.
He is regarded as the person w ...
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Gladstone Mills
Gladstone Mills OJ OD (12 February 1920 – 26 September 2004)Rose, Dionne.Professor Gladstone Mills dies", ''The Jamaica Gleaner'', 27 September 2004. was a Jamaican academic, sportsman, and public servant.
Early life
Born in Clarendon, Jam ...
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Arthur Henry Winnington Williams
Arthur Henry Winnington Williams, Sr. OD (August 17, 1913 – June 15, 2012) was a Jamaican parliamentarian.
He was born in Santa Cruz, a town in Jamaica's Saint Elizabeth Parish and graduated from Mico Teachers’ College in 1934. He taught for ...
Social work
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Hazel Monteith
Hazel Conupe Monteith, O.D., J.P. ( Williams; 19 June 1917 – 22 May 2012) was an Afro-Jamaican consumer rights advocate, radio personality and social worker. Graduating from the first course in social work offered by the University of the We ...
* Noel Earl Alexander
Sport
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Jimmy Adams
James Clive Adams OD (born 9 January 1968) is a former Jamaican cricketer, who represented the West Indies as player and captain during his career. He was a left-handed batsman, left-arm orthodox spin bowler and fielder, especially in th ...
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Gerry Alexander
Franz Copeland Murray Alexander OD (2 November 1928 – 16 April 2011), known as Gerry Alexander, was a Jamaican cricketer who played 25 Test matches for the West Indies. He was a wicket-keeper who had 90 dismissals in his 25 Test appearances ...
Stafanie Taylor
Stafanie Roxann Taylor (born 11 June 1991) is a Jamaican cricketer who is a former captain of the West Indies women's cricket team. She has represented them over 250 times since her debut in 2008. A right-handed batter and off break bowler, Ta ...
Gene Pearson
In biology, the word gene (from , ; "...Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a ba ...
Ian Boyne
Ian or Iain is a name of Scottish Gaelic origin, derived from the Hebrew given name (Yohanan, ') and corresponding to the English name John (given name), John. The spelling Ian is an Anglicization of the Scottish Gaelic forename ''Iain''. It is a ...
Broadcasting
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Newton James
Newton most commonly refers to:
* Isaac Newton (1642–1726/1727), English scientist
* Newton (unit), SI unit of force named after Isaac Newton
Newton may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Newton'' (film), a 2017 Indian film
* Newton ( ...
Communication, media, education and culture
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Fae Ellington
Fae Ellington, CD, OD, is a Jamaican media personality and lecturer best known for hosting the television series ''Morning Time'' on JBC for more than twelve years.
Background
Fae Audrey Ellington was born on 28 May 1950 in the district of Smi ...
Cynthia Reyes
Cynthia is a feminine given name of Greek origin: , , "from Mount Cynthus" on Delos island. The name has been in use in the Anglosphere since the 1600s. There are various spellings for this name, and it can be abbreviated to Cindy, Cyndi, Cyndy, ...
George Beckford
George may refer to:
People
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Washington, First President of the United States
* George W. Bush, 43rd President ...
Paula Llewellyn
Paula Vanessa Llewellyn CD KC is a Jamaican lawyer who serves as the country's director of public prosecutions (DPP), in office since 2008. She is the first woman to hold the position.
Early life
Llewellyn was born at the Victoria Jubilee Hosp ...
Coxsone Dodd
Clement Seymour "Coxsone" Dodd (26 January 1932 – 4 May 2004) was a Jamaican record producer who was influential in the development of ska and reggae in the 1950s, 1960s and beyond.
He was nicknamed "Coxsone" at school due to his talent a ...
Bob Andy
Keith Anderson CD (28 October 1944 – 27 March 2020), better known by the stage name Bob Andy, was a Jamaican reggae vocalist and songwriter. He was widely regarded as one of reggae's most influential songwriters.
Early life
Anderson was bor ...
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Sonny Bradshaw
Cecil "Sonny" Bradshaw CD (28 March 1926 – 10 October 2009), known as the "dean of Jamaican music", and the "musician's musician", was a Jamaican bandleader, trumpeter, broadcaster, and promoter who was a major figure in Jamaican music for m ...
Tommy Cowan
Tommy Cowan CD (born Thomas Lincoln Cowan, 6 April 1946, Saint Elizabeth, Jamaica) is a producer and singer, initially working in reggae but later concentrating on gospel, who has been involved in the music business since the 1960s.Brooks, Sade ...
Shaggy
Shaggy may refer to:
People
*Shaggy (musician) (born 1968), Jamaican American reggae rapper and singer
*Shaggy 2 Dope, half of the hip hop, horrorcore band Insane Clown Posse
*Shaggy Flores (born 1973), Nuyorican poet, writer and African diaspora ...
Delroy Wilson
Delroy George Wilson CD (5 October 1948 – 6 March 1995)
Greene, Jo-Ann, " Delroy Wilson Biography, allmusic.com, Macrovision Corporation
was a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae singer. Wilson is often regarded as Jamaica's first child s ...
Barry Moncrieffe Barry may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name
* Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 1950 ...
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Phyllis Dillon
Phyllis Dillon (27 December 1944 – 15 April 2004) , ''
Neville Eden Gallimore
Neville Eden Gallimore CD is a Jamaican politician who served as a member of the Parliament of Jamaica for South West St. Ann for over 30 years. He is a member of the Jamaica Labour Party and a Seventh-day Adventist. While in office, he was know ...
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Douglas Saunders
Douglas Anthony Clive Saunders (born 15 February 1949 in Kingston, Jamaica) is a Jamaican diplomat.
Biography
Ambassador the Honourable Douglas Saunders OJ CD is the Cabinet Secretary of the Jamaican Prime Minister's cabinet. Saunders is the ...
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Ransford Smith
Ransford Smith, CD (born 23 July 1949), is a senior public servant from Jamaica. He was the Deputy Secretary-General for Economic Affairs and Development of the Commonwealth of Nations from 2006 to 2013.
A career diplomat of nearly 30 years ...
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Clifford Everald Warmington
Clifford Everald Errol Warmington (born 1952) is a Jamaican politician with the Jamaica Labour Party. He has represented the Saint Catherine South Western constituency in the Parliament of Jamaica since 2002.
Career Overview
Warmington was fir ...
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Audley Shaw
Audley Shaw (born 13 June 1952) is a Jamaican politician. He currently serves as Minister of Transport & Mining since January 2022. Prior to this appointment he served as the Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce from September 2020 - J ...
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Fenton Ferguson
Fenton Rudyard Ferguson is a Jamaican politician with the People's National Party. He began serving as Jamaica's Minister of labor and social security under Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller in 2012. He is a dental surgeon. Fenton Ferguson was ...
Sport
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Alia Atkinson
Alia Shanee Atkinson, OD (born 11 December 1988) is a Jamaican five-time Olympian and a former competitive swimmer whose international competition career spanned 19 years, 2003 to 2021 inclusive, at the senior level. At short course World Sw ...
Veronica Campbell-Brown
Veronica Campbell-Brown CD ( Campbell; born 15 May 1982) is a retired Jamaican track and field sprinter, who specialized in the 100 and 200 meters.
Shericka Jackson
Shericka Jackson, OD (born 16 July 1994) is a Jamaican Sprint (running), sprinter competing in the 100 metres, 100 m, 200 metres, 200 m, and 400 metres, 400 metres. She is the fastest woman alive and second fastest woman of all time in ...
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Asafa Powell
Asafa Powell, CD (born 23 November 1982) is a retired Jamaican sprinter who specialised in the 100 metres. He set the 100 metres world record twice, between June 2005 and May 2008 with times of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds. Powell has consiste ...
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Donald Quarrie
Donald O'Riley Quarrie CD (born 25 February 1951) is a Jamaican former track and field athlete, one of the world's top sprinters during the 1970s. At the 1976 Summer Olympics he was the gold medallist in the Olympic 200 meters and silver med ...
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Molly Rhone
Molly May Rhone OJ, CD, OD (born November, 1944) is a Jamaican sports administrator and former netball player. She served as President of the International Netball Federation (INF) from 2003 to 2019.
Early life and education
Rhone was born Nov ...