The Story of Frederick A. Morton, Jr., Who Rose as a Proud Son of the Caribbean from the Small Town of St. Croix

St. Croix is one of three small islands making up the US Virgin Islands and is a blessed one for many reasons. To begin with, the vibrant natural beauty is ubiquitous here. Visit parks like Salt River Bay National Park, and you will have a number of archeological sites and a forest of mangroves unraveling in front of you. The coral reefs are also a beautiful part of this town. A small island of its size, St. Croix is also known for another reason that might be more prominent than anything else.

Frederick A. Morton, Jr., a name widely known and respected across the Caribbean, hails from the small island of St. Croix. He is an esteemed corporate attorney and the founder of TEMPO Networks, a media company that has transformed the Caribbean region and the international perception. 

He was born to parents who worked from dawn to dusk in order to provide Frederick and his sister with the basic necessities of life and help them achieve their career goals. As a result, both of their children grew to be extremely diligent and consistent in their struggles in life. Frederick moved to New Jersey after completing his primary education. He went to Rutgers University to study for a Bachelor of Art and subsequently obtained a Juris Doctorate from the same university after doing a Master’s in Public Administration from Columbia University. 

This phase constitutes around a decade of Frederick’s life but he didn’t forget his motherland the entire time he was miles away from it. In fact, he was working on doing something significant for the Caribbean the whole time. But for that to happen, he needed to acquire enough experience in building businesses and all other relevant matters. Hence, he first served in various prestigious law firms like Simpson Thatcher and Barlett and as corporate counsel for Johnson & Johnson, and Viacom.

Frederick represented numerous Fortune 500 companies while working at the law firm and gained tremendous experience in business building and the legal affairs behind it. After that, when he was offered the Senior Vice President position at MTV, he instantly accepted it and inched closer to his ultimate dream of opening a Caribbean-specific media network. 

Eventually, that day arrived in 2003 when Frederick was out with one of the founders of MTV and US film industry icon, Tom Freston. He shared the idea of a network surrounding the Caribbean lifestyle with Tom, who encouraged him and pledged his efforts to help him achieve his dream. Initially, everything went smoothly. However, as with any major initiative, in this case, the launch of an entire Networks, there were significant challenges and many naysayers.  

But following in the footsteps of his parents, Frederick remained consistent in his efforts, and in 2005, he finally achieved TEMPO Networks which was launched in a major event at the South Street Seaport. He later acquired the Network from MTV in 2007 and got its ownership rights. Since then, TEMPO Networks has introduced several projects that have provided a golden opportunity for many Caribbean artists to rise and shine. 

The achievements of TEMPO are numerous, but let’s just say it has revolutionized modern Caribbean society, and at the top of this revolution is the founder himself, Frederick A. Morton, Jr. An ordinary boy who grew up on the small island of St. Croix has created an example for many Caribbean generations to follow.