Sir Etienne was a champion of the people and a tireless defender of the free press.
When he died at his Camperdown home in August 1991 at the age of 92, heartfelt tributes to Sir Etienne Dupuch poured forth from simple Bahamians, politicians and dignitaries alike. The fiercely independent-minded editor and publisher of The Tribune had made many friends and more than a few enemies in his lifetime. Upon his death, all were united in their admiration of the man who had helped shape the minds and change the lives of his fellow Bahamians, not only through his editorials, but the many causes he undertook for those less fortunate than he.
In an eloquent letter to The Tribune, then Senator Theresa Moxey, who had worked at the newspaper during her university days, praised Sir Etienne as a “giant of a man” and a fearless editor, but recognized an even greater debt that society owed him. “It is… important that we do not simply remember Sir Etienne as a social and political commentator and opinion-maker about local politics and l •
About Dupuch
Dupuch is a name synonymous with quality publishing
The Dupuch name is synonymous with publishing in The Bahamas. The family has a long history in the business, starting with the Nassau Daily Tribune founded by Leon Dupuch at the turn of the last century and continued by his son, the late Sir Etienne Dupuch.
Etienne Dupuch Jr has carried the tradition forward into the 21st century. He is founder and owner of Etienne Dupuch Jr Publications, the largest magazine and book publishing company in the country.
"I was born into the business, I've been involved in every aspect of the business," says Dupuch, who founded the company in 1959. Since then, he has watched it expand into a major publishing house that produces the Bahamas Handbook; the full-colour Welcome hardback books circulated in hotel rooms throughout Nassau, Paradise Island and Grand Bahama; The Bahamas Investor; the entertaining What to Do magazines; the Dining & Entertainment Guide; and the handy Bahamas Trailblazer Maps.
The Baha •
By NICO SCAVELLA
Tribune Staff Reporter
nscavella@tribunemedia.net
SIXTY years ago, the late Tribune Editor and Publisher Sir Etienne Dupuch moved a resolution to end discrimination in the House of Assembly, a move that changed the racial landscape in The Bahamas forever.
Sir Etienne’s bold move on January 23, 1956, in the face of possible imprisonment, made it possible for black Bahamians to have free access to all public places. Before then, people of colour were barred from hotels and restaurants in Nassau, and were refused admission to the whites-only Savoy movie theatre on Bay Street.
Former Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes, at one time The Tribune’s news editor, said at a time when The Bahamas was still a British colony, Sir Etienne’s bold move did more than “any one single person in the 20th century” to heighten “the political consciousness of the Bahamian people”.
Sir Arthur said Sir Etienne’s move – though far reaching in its significance – was merely a snippet of his “relentless campaign” against the excesses of the ruling group at the time, the “Bay Street Boy