Celebrating the Long Life of Dr. Maurice Fennell
Tuskegee University alum celebrates 100 years of life, leadership, and global service
Tuskegee University alum Dr. Maurice Fennell reached the milestone of 100 years of age on July 5, 2025. His life reflects a legacy of agricultural leadership, global service, and lifelong learning.
Born in Cambridge, St. James Parish, Jamaica, Dr. Fennell was the second eldest and first son of eight children born to Gladys Fennell, a homemaker, and James Fennell. From an early age, he demonstrated curiosity and determination—qualities that would define his academic and professional journey.
His educational path began at the Jamaica School of Agriculture, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree between 1944 and 1947. He later attended Tuskegee Institute from 1949 to 1951, completing both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in just two years. Dr. Fennell worked tirelessly to pay his tuition, including building water storage tanks and working in the lumber industry.
In 1953, he earned a PhD in Soil and Plant Physiology from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. His career spanned more than three decades and included work in international economic development programs across agriculture, medicine, and industry, sponsored by organizations such as USAID, the Ford Foundation, and U.S. universities.
Dr. Fennell lived and worked in several West African countries and traveled extensively throughout the world. Later in life, he returned to Jamaica, where he established a 400-acre cattle and goat farm and a 15-acre pimento farm. He currently resides in Miramar, Florida, with his wife of 19 years, Clover Whyte Fennell.
Throughout his life, Dr. Fennell has lived by a guiding principle passed down from his father: “Think about what you want to do, do it, and help people along the way.” His own personal motto—“There is always a way”—continues to inspire those around him.
As he celebrates a century of life, Dr. Fennell finds his greatest joy in his children, grandchildren, and extended family.
The Ole Farmers Association, North America, proudly salutes and congratulates its revered “Centenarian Ole Farmer,” Dr. Maurice Fennell, for his lifetime of achievements.
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