Leonard Haynes, born in Gibraltar, was appointed Head of Department in April 1957. Haynes carried on the impressive research ethic that Hassall had instigated. Haynes was instrumental in importing research students into the department . Ian Sangster,for example, first came to Jamaica in 1966 to the Department of Chemistry, UWI to spend a year as Research Fellow on a Royal Society Fellowship scholarship. He became well known in Jamaica as a result of his creation and marketing of Sangster’s Liqueurs and through his development of the factory side of the Sugar Industry Research Institute’s Liqueurs.
Under the leadership of Leonard Haynes the Natural Products Research Unit increased the rate at which the Department examined the medicinal plants used in Jamaica and the Caribbean and carried out detailed chemical studies on selected plants. Plants with hypotensive or hypertensive properties received the greatest attention. In 1966 Leonard Haynes initiated the Mona Symposium. During Haynes’ tenure as Head, the Physical Chemistry aspect of the discipline improved. Haynes, like Hassall, brought up-to-date instrumentation to the department. During Haynes’ tenure the UCWI became a multi-campus institution and the sub-department of Chemical Technology was moved to the St. Augustine (Trinidad) campus. Kenneth Magnus introduced the teaching of Applied Chemistry in the department in 1968, six years after he was appointed to the academic staff. While Hassall initiated outreach with schools through their teacher organizations, it was Haynes who developed it into Easter Seminars for teachers of Chemistry. This ended when Easter breaks for University and schools no longer coincided.
Since Hassall and Haynes there have been nine Heads of Department, each creating their own unique imprints on the development of the Department. Some of the major developments during their tenures are outlined below.