Interviewed on the concept of "The Adisadel Spirit", W. E. P.
Essuman-Gwira (Head Prefect, 1924) said that it meant "Be prepared to serve your
school at all times." Dr. C. A. Ackah, first Ghanaian principal of the then
University College of Cape Coast (now University of Cape Coast) who was both a
student (1923-25) and a tutor (1926-36) of the School agrees entirely with his
contemporary, It was (and is) the spirit of self-help and determination to serve
Adisadel. That was the propelling force that moved the Topp Yard staff and
students to resolve to make the Hill Top of Adisadel the repository of
scholarship and fame. Realizing that the contractor put on the project was
failing, the Topp Yard contingent, guided by John Buckman, laid the foundation
for the present day
Adisadel College.
Alan Knight as headmaster was a whole lot of encouragement.
He meant to give the School the much needed push. He instituted a Board of
Governors for the School and the School Houses were named after distinguished
personalities who were directly or indirectly connected with the school. Thus,
Primus House became Hamlyn House (named after Bishop Hamlyn, the Founder);
Quaque House (after the Revd. Philip Quaque) replaced Secundus; and Elliott
House (after the Venerable C. H. Elliott, took the place of Tertius. (Elliott is
the first Old Boy of the School to take Holy Orders in fulfillment of the wish
of the Founder for trained men for the Church.)
It was also under Knight's headmastership that a new formal
uniform of white suit designed for church wear replaced the hitherto blue-black
coat and straw hat, with the "Kente" as alternative wear. (It is interesting to
note that in 1924, a
special designed dark-blue blazer with the School's crest embroidered on the
breast pocket, was issued for use by the students. That was the first time in
the country that a school blazer was ever used).
Sporting activities were intensified under Alan Knight.
Rugger i.e. Rugby
football, was introduced and the interest that it generated almost eclipsed that
of soccer. In cricket and athletics, the School reigned supreme in many
competitions with other existing secondary schools, notably, Mfantsipim School,
Achimota College and Accra Technical School. For the first time, the "Aggrey
Shield" which had always been won by Achimota was brought to Cape Coast by the
St. Nicholas boys in 1934.
Around this time, the School Ode, in which is enshrined the
ideals, hopes and aspirations of the School. was composed and set to music by a
student, Jack B. Wilmot. Does one doubt that the "Adisadel Spirit" was being
born?
The early thirties were indeed the "moving" years of the now
AdisadelCollege.
The School's literary magazine, SANTACLAUSIANS made its - debut and reflected
the literary and creative excellence of the boys. Also in appearance was a
weekly newsletter, The OWL. This publication, managed and produced by a coterie
of writers in the Upper forms, caused quite a stir with its forthright
editorials; satirical comments, news tit-bits, gossip and poetry. The newsletter
never spared those whom it believed were responsible for the lapses and
shortcomings of the School. These publications continue to exist and serve the
purposes of educating, informing and entertaining the boys. The OWL has grown
to become an institution by itself and is usually exhibited in a glass case at
a conspicuous position in front of the Assembly Hall.
There also existed at one time the "Fifth Form Review". This
had the effect of helping to develop the literary talents of the fifth formers
who aspired to journalistic or literary excellence.
Father Knight took personal interest in his boys to the
extent of "adopting" some of them. Those boys included J. K. Oppon and J.V.M.
Ntow, whom he took along with him to England in his campaign for
funds in aid of Adisadel. (Victor Ntow, who later graduated B.A., and LLB.,
taught at the school for some time after leaving school before furthering his
education to become a barrister in the United Kingdom).
If the Topp Yard to Top Hill boys were "ever prepared" to
help themselves, it was Father Knight, ably assisted by S. R. S. Nicholas who
provided the conductive atmosphere.
University graduates were recruited one after the other to
teach in the School. At morning assemblies and in the classrooms tutors were
required to wear their graduation gowns. This fascinated most of the students
who consequently aspired to enter the university and obtain degrees after their
formal education. It was an impressive spectacle to see the Headmaster and some
of his staff arrayed in their colourful academic robes especially on such
occasions as Founder's Day and Visitation Day (otherwise known as the Speech and
Prize-Giving Day) which are great social occasions on the calendar of the
School.
The academic air that prevailed had its chain reactions. It
produced a new crop of self-disciplined graduates. Some of the Old Boys who
were then on the staff of the School set the ball rolling. They took every
possible step to read for degrees of one sort or another through private
tutorials and correspondence courses. There were no other facilities for
university education available in the country then.
C. A. Ackah was the first to emerge with a B.A. (Hons)
degree in Philosophy, followed by Albert Hammond who notched a B.A. (Hons) in
Classics, both as external candidates of the University of London.
True to the "Adisadel Spirit" of self-help, two Old Boys had
achieved what was then considered almost IMPOSSIBLE in the country. No doubt,
these successes inspired other scholars, to emulate their examples.
Those who followed their footsteps included A. M. L. Taylor
and C..W. Sackeyfio. Having passed the Inter B.A. examination locally
as external students of the University of London, they both
later went to Britain, the former to Oxford and the latter to Wales. They
eventually returned home with a B.A. (Hons) in Mathematics and B.A. (Hons) in
Geography respectively. Before then, another tutor of the School, J.
H. Amponsah had similarly won his spurs, graduating B.A. (Hons) in
Philosophy of the University of London.
One student-tutor who did not rest on his oars was C.A.
Ackah. It did not take him long to earn in the same grand style, his M.A.
(Lond.) degree. He has thus the singular distinction of being the first Ghanaian
(or Gold Coaster?) to obtain externally a bachelor's and then a master's degree
in Philosophy and Sociology respectively from the University of London entirely by
private studies. It was much later when he was appointed Supervisor of students
in the United Kingdom and Ireland in the Ghana High Commission in London that he
registered as an internal student at the London School of Economics and
Political Science where he obtained his Ph.D. (Lond.) degree in Sociology and
Moral Philosophy.
Perhaps we should say a little bit more about Dr. C. A.
Ackah who stands out as one of the shining examples of the "Adisadel Spirit".
Dr. Ackah is the author of "West
Africa - A General Certificate of Geography", published by the University of London Press.
He was formerly senior Geography master of the School (1931-36), and he is a
life Member of the British Institute of Philosophy and Member of the British
Sociological Association, London. He is also a Foundation Fellow of the Ghana
Academy of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Ackah delivered the Dr. J. B. Danquah
Memorial Lectures in 1969, choosing as his theme "Some Fundamentals in the
Political Scene". Several of his writings have appeared in learned journals such
as the Journal of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Ghana Journal
of Sociology.
A. M. L. Taylor followed a similar course and took the M.A.
and subsequently the D.Phil. degrees in Mathematics at Oxford University. Dr. Taylor
rose to become Professor of Mathematics at the University
of Science and Technology, Kumasi, before his sudden death in April, 1977.
One cannot seriously talk about the "Adisadel Spirit" without
mentioning the aides of Father Knight, that is, members of his staff. These did
not only enrich the intellectual life of the School with their acquired
knowledge and expert handling of the subjects they taught; they also won
academic distinctions and positions in their various fields later. Dr. C. A.
Ackah, M.A., Ph.D. (Lond.) FRGS, became the first Ghanaian Principal of the
University College of Cape Coast, Revd. Dr. A. W, E. Appiah, B.A., retired
Anglican priest, was the founder and first headmaster of Aggrey Memorial
Secondary School at Cape Coast; the Rev. Canon H. Tekyi-Mensah, L. Th., is now a
retired Arch-deacon of the Anglican Church; A. R. Otoo, B.Sc., (Eng. ) AM
ICE, is a retired
Civil Engineer; K. O. Hagan, B.Litt., (Oxon) became deputy director of the
Institute of Adult Education, University of Ghana; Albert Hammond, B.A.(Hons.),
DipEd., (Lond.), who at one time was Headmaster of the School later became the
Executive Secretary of the Arts Council of Ghana; E. B. O. Azu-Mate was formerly
director of Students' Welfare at the Ghana High Commission, London; J.M. Awotwe,
an authority in Fante, served the School for 33 years and later became a lay
magistrate. Those who have passed into eternity include D. Jackson-Davies; J. T.
O. Gyebi; E. F. Andrews-Ayeh,
K.M.A.C. Ababio and
S.G. Amissah, a talented musician, for many years organist and choirmaster of
Christ Church, Cape Coast.
It is perhaps not well known to the present generation of
students that in Father Knight's time the School incorporated a Teacher Training
College and a Seminary, with the Headmaster himself as Principal and Rector
respectively; the former trained teachers for the mission's schools while the
latter prepared young men, interested in the work of the Church for ordination
into the priesthood. It is significant to note that two of the students of the
Seminary are the present Lord Bishops of Accra and Kumasi, the Rt. Revds.
I. S. A. LeMaire, GM., D.D., and J. B. Arthur, D.Th., the first Ghanaians to
head the Anglican Dioceses of the two cities. Another product of the Seminary is
the Rt. Revd. (Major) A.K. Nelson, retired Assistant Bishop and Provost of the
Holy Trinity Cathedral, Accra.
The religious life of the School was taken good care of.
Attendance at Church services on Sundays was compulsory. A large hall at Topp
Yard was converted into a Chapel where the boys worshipped on Sundays and mass
was said daily in the morning before school began for the day. This saved the
boys the trouble of walking to and from Christ Church some distance away
for the purpose,
Incidentally, the School Chapel was the first to use The
English Hymnal in place of the standard Hymns: Ancient and Modern which
has been in use in all the Churches of the Diocese for many years. It was also
the place where the solemn ceremony of "Blessing the Sixth Formers" and
"Induction of the Head Prefect" into office, both instituted by Father Knight
himself, were first held in the presence of a large congregation, including
parents and guardians of the boys.
The classical fervour of the School reached its zenith with
the staging of impressive Greek plays. The first, Antigone, staged in
1934-1935 was intended to mark the School's Silver Jubilee, which was celebrated
with great pomp in 1935. The play was well received by the
public. By 8 popular request, there was a repeat performance before a full house
at CapeCoast.
It was later staged at Sekondi and then moved to Kumasi.
The theatrical scenery and the costume of the cast as well as their histrionics
contributed much to its success. Of course, the success was to the credit of
Stephen Nicholas, who planned, selected the cast of actors and produced the
play.
Names are invidious but in this particular play, mention
should be made of one of the actors who stole the show and won public
commendations when Antigone made its debut in 1934. That fellow is
Robert K. A. Gardiner who was Commissioner for Economic Planning in the
Acheampong government. His histrionics, gestures, mimes and incantations were
exceptional. Kweku Atta (as he was called by his fellow mates) was one of the
best students of the School; in fact, he was the Head Prefect for 1934, his last
year. He taught at the College for sometime in 1935 before going up to Fourah Bay College in Sierra
Leone to further his education.
The second Greek Play to be staged by the School was the
Agamemnon in 1936. The third was the Alcestes staged in 1944-1945,
under the direction of Robert Tachie-Mensah an Old Boy (who is now well known
as a musician, composer and artist) then on the staff of the School. Ben
Brookman was the star artiste who led the chorus. It is interesting to note that
in those plays, the narratives were in English but the choruses were rendered in
the original Greek.
In connection with the school building project, tribute must
be paid to certain public-spirited individuals who freely gave their time and
talents to help a noble cause and encouraged the boys to undertake the building
of what has now become monuments of self-help at Adisadel. Prominent among them
were the late John Buckman, M.B.E., affectionately called in his life time,
"Faithful John" and I. R. Fynn. The former, a land surveyor resident in Accra,
traveled frequently to and from Accra and Cape Coast to supervise work on the
site and it was the latter, a local architect, who prepared the site plans of
the initial buildings, which comprised Hamlyn House, the Acropolis and the
Sanatorium and saw to it that they were followed closely by the boys in the
construction work.
"Heaven helps those who help themselves."
This truism was amply demonstrated in this self-help
project. The determination and efforts of the boys evoked public admiration and
praise and attracted as well financial support from many quarters both locally
and abroad, especially from Britain. The Government came to
the aid of the School with a substantial grant which enabled construction work
on the rest of the buildings to be carried out with the minimum of delay.
On December 21, 1936, the magnificent College buildings at
Adisadel on the Hill were formally opened by Sir Arnold Hudson, K.C.M.G., the
Governor of the then Gold Coast at a memorable ceremony in the presence of Canon
Stacy Waddy, D.D., Secretary of S.P.G. the Rt. Revd. J. O. Aglionby, D.D., the
Bishop of Accra and a large gathering of distinguished guests, including chiefs
from various parts of the country. The Foundation Stone of the new buildings had
earlier on the 18th November 1933 been laid by the then Governor of the Gold
Coast, Sir Shenton Thomas, G.C.M.G., at a similar memorable function.
Scholarship without religion is sterile. The strong religious
foundation of the School has been duly emphasized at Adisadel and this is
reflected in the imposing School Chapel erected on the side of the hill and
overlooking the central compound. The Chapel, of a distinctive architectural
design, is named after St. Nicholas, the Patron Saint of the School, and was
built with donations and other contributions made by friends and well-wishers of
the School, many of them in Britain. Another striking building is the Clock
Tower, the gift of the Contractors who carried out the first phase of the
project. Both edifices are built of reinforced concrete with impressive marble
finishes.
In 1937, Father Knight went home with the aim of campaigning
for more funds to further the college building programme. But he was destined
not to return to his beloved Adisadel. For he was appointed Bishop of
Georgestown in British Guiana (now Guyana) by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the
Primate of all England, His Grace Cosmo Gordon Lang, D.D., obviously in
recognition of his dedicated services and the "shining virtues of his head and
heart." And so a glorious and stirring chapter in the annals of Adisadel College was brought to
a close.
The next headmaster who followed after Alan Knight's
departure was another Englishman, the Revd. R. D. Hudson. M. A. (Oxon.) a
former Chaplain of Eton College, one of the oldest and most famous public
schools in England. The
headmaster was a tall fellow with very pleasing personality and noble walking
gait. He presented a dignified figure whenever he appeared in his full clerical
robes or academic costumes. He was a great scholar and rugby enthusiast with a
keen sense of humour. That endeared him to both the students and the staff.
It was Father Hudson who introduced the study of Science into
the School. To start with, he converted a small room in Hamlyn House into a
laboratory for scientific experiments. His stay at Adisadel was, unfortunately,
cut short in 1940, when he was recalled home to serve in the British Army as
Chaplain to the Forces, during the war. Father Hudson, evidently inspired by the
examples of his predecessors, came to Adisadel, bubbling with new ideas and
energy, intent on making somemeaningful contributions towards the
progress of the School. So, naturally, while the call 'to national
service at home was to him an obligation, he seemed to have felt sad that he was
not to remain a bit longer at Adisadel to be able to realize his pet dreams for
the School. He is said to have left with these poignant words preying on his
mind: "So much to do, so little done."
Stephen Nicholas stepped into the Headmaster's shoes once
again in 1941. Nicholas whose role as headmaster in the formative years of the
School, and as the able lieutenant of Father Knight, has been recounted earlier
on, provedhimself to be the life and soul of the School. He managed
to keep up the low spirits of the students in those trying days, when the
effects of the war was beginning to tell heavily on the boys to the extent of
disorganising the life of the School.
Regrettably, in 1943, Nicholas took up an appointment with
the Church Missionary Society in Nigeria, and therefore left for
that country where he was subsequently ordained into the priesthood. On his
return home on retirement, while doing extra-parochial work, he kept alive his
interest in the School to the end of his life in 1974. (The
Revd. S.R.S. Nicholas
was awarded the M.B.E., for his contributions to education while in Nigeria).
When Stephen Nicholas left, his place was taken by E. N.
Agbettor, B.A., Dip. Ed. (Lond.) a man of quiet disposition from Mfanstipim School, Cape Coast.
He was in charge of the School for nearly five years. The second world war was
then raging furiously and it was unfortunate that he took over the
administration of the School when it had almost been disorganised as a result of
the war. Although he was sorely beset by many difficulties and problems he
worked hard and cheerfully gave his best to the School.
E. N. Agbettor's tenure of office as headmaster ended in
1947. The next man on whom the mantle of headmaster fell was the Revd. Canon W.
G. Harward, M.A. (Oxon.) The new headmaster resumed the school building
programme which had been interrupted by the war. He built a block for use as
science laboratories and two additional dormitories, one of which was named
"Canterbury House" in recognition of the generous support given to the School by
the Archbishop of Canterbury, His Grace Gordon Lang: and the other “Knight
House” after Archbishop Knight, the "creator" of Adisadel. Canon Harward did
much to raise the standard of sports in the School. He was helped by the
efficient coaching of the Revd. J.W.A. Howe, B.A. (Oxon) the College Chaplain,
his able lieutenant. Harward constructed the long flight of concrete steps
leading from the hill down to the playing field below. He also spared no efforts
to improve the quality of the teaching staff by recruiting more qualified
masters for the School, among other things.
When Canon Harward left the scene in 1953, there was a
succession of headmasters at irregular intervals. Coleman Porter, then
Assistant Headmaster, acted as Headmaster until Arthur Dee, M.A. (Sydney) a
former housemaster of Marlborough,
a public school in England, took over in 1954. Poor health compelled Arthur Dee
to return home for medical attention. Unfortunately, he died after undergoing a
surgical operation. Albert Hammond, B.A. (Hons.) Dip. Ed. (Lond.) also then
Assistant Headmaster, was in the saddle during the interval, until L. W. Fry,
M.A., B.Sc. (Oxon.) Assistant Headmaster of Achimota School, took over. A
notable feature of his time was the changing of the School uniform from khaki to
blue.
