High School Reminiscences: Fascinating Four Perspectives from Four of Ghana’s Adisadel College Alumni

Edited, with Introduction, By: A.O. Ebo Richardson, Ph.D. - Professor Emeritus, California State, University, Chico.

PART I
INTRODUCTION
The grand enterprise of nation-building needs for its foundation, a solid, comprehensive education for its citizens.

The higher the level of education attained by the citizens, the better the quality of the nation’s human resource. The

21^st Century is the age of the “Knowledge Revolution”, where knowledge is indeed ‘power’….economic and political power. And scientific and technological know-how is the engine of rapid economic development.

A nation’s Human Resource and Intellectual Property are to be valued so much more than even its natural resources. African countries, with their vast natural resources but undereducated populations, are grappling with this human resource versus natural resource dichotomy. As a result, nations have tended to experiment on the most effective ways to educate their citizens. Ghana, for example, has, in recent years, changed its Secondary School education from ‘five years(O. Level) + two years( A. Level---lower and upper 6^th Form)’ to ‘three years of Junior Secondary + three years of Senior Secondary’. Thus , the new system “ replaced the four-year middle school and the first three years of the traditional five year secondary school system. After three years at the JSS, three years further training would be available in senior secondary schools(SSS), after which students could enter polytechnic institutions or the universities”……( Source, Google: U.S. Library of Congress, “Ghana-The Education System)

Without doubt, an interesting and important exercise would be to evaluate the overall educational and developmental experience of Ghana’s students under the ‘O. Level+ A. Level’ system, compared to the overall educational and developmental experience under the current ‘Junior Secondary + Senior Secondary’ system.

In 2017, on the 50^th Anniversary of their leaving Secondary School in 1967 after completing the ‘A Levels/Sixth Form, four(4) former students of Adisadel College, Cape Coast, Ghana, decided to reflect on their individual educational and developmental experiences during their seven years (1960-1967) at Adisadel College as boarding house students.

Presented below, are the FOUR(4) separate individual accounts( ‘Reminiscences’). They are short, but,vivid, exciting, serious and humorous, perspectives on their varied experiences at Adisadel in the 1960s. They describe very eloquently, their exposures and encounters in the broad areas of academic, extracurricular , socio-cultural, spiritual, physical, mental and psychological activities. In the process, they reveal their exploits, victories, successes, joys, as well as their challenges(defeats?, failures?), lamentations, and regrets!

Perhaps, it is not by coincidence that when the idea of writing reminiscences of the 1960s Secondary School experiences in Ghana was broached, a group of professionals within the Sciences jumped at the idea. It speaks volumes about the dominant role that science played on campuses in the 1960s, and the glamour position that it held on campuses all over Ghana in the immediate post-independent Africa. This was the period when Ghana was in a hurry to develop economically, and Science education was looked to for answers. Elite Secondary Schools, like Adisadel College, then had a ratio of 60 percent Science students to 40 percent Liberal Arts students. The situation has changed,…reversed!. Currently, from Secondary Schools all the way through the Universities, there are 40 percent Science Students to 60 percent Liberal Arts students.

Wouldn’t it be quite instructive, if we also had fifty(50) years of experience within the current ‘Junior Secondary + Senior Secondary system, written up, for comparison. Perhaps, and by the grace of God, we might see you in fifty years!. Please stay tuned.

Very brief professional background material on the four contributors are provided at the end of this report. Ebo Richardson

PART II Adisadel Reminiscences.
GODFREY ABEKU GAISIE, MD.(Pediatric Radiologist)

Elliott House 1960 - 1967
In my home today, whenever the name Adisadel comes up, my wife rolls up her eyes, with the statement, “Here we go again…..!” It gets even worse when folks like Sam Tekyi Mensah, junior brother to Frank, shows up for a visit and yells, “Senior Abeku!”

As the years go by, I have come to realize this school had a major positive influence on our lives, more so than we know, considering our humble beginnings. Our excellent education, social life, long term friendships, and the opportunity to slowly come out of our shells all happened because of the nurturing environment at Adisadel.

Our class was particularly unique because we had an excellent group of students in one class. If I recall correctly, I started out in 1C and was later moved to 2B or 3B. That was where I met the likes of Ebo Richardson, Robert Baafi, Nii Saban Quao, Leslie Armah, Nii Amassah Kotey, Abam, S.B. Quarshie, among many others. . I don’t believe there was ever a class group with a high concentration of academic heavy-hitters like our class. Recently, I was in Kumasi for a funeral, when a gentleman approached me. “Senior Gaisie,” he said, and of course I was pleasantly surprised, as I did not recognize the face. His name is Ben Owusu, and was in Quaque house like Ebo. After the usual pleasantries, he said, “Could you extend my regards to Head Pru Richardson”, and then added, Senior Gaisie, “Your class had the best group of students in the whole school”

When I was in Form 4, during the long vacation, Father Warmol, and a group of visitors of his were driving to the Western Region, and he paid a surprise visit to my home (which was close to the main road) in Sekondi. In conversation with my uncle, Father Warmol said that our class was the best class he had taught both in England and Ghana.

The great ASPAU 3, Ebo, Baafi, and Quao, are well known. However what people may not know is that when Jason and Gaisie applied to the medical school in Ghana they were exempted from the mandatory 1 year premedical studies, because of high A-level scores. No other school had 2 students from the same class exempted like we were.

As a first year student, I was pretty naïve, but my transformation was a result of the group of students and teaching staff who provided the necessary stimulus. I recall my first ever geometry assignment under the strict eyes of, and larger than life, Mr. Awotwi. The assignment was to copy geometric figures to scale. I took it as an art assignment and shaded the lines to make it more artistic!!! My graded sheet came back with the bold writing across, “DIRTY WORK, 0/10”. It never happened again.

In a class like ours it was difficult not to want to better yourself. I joined the Saturday Greek Club to study ancient Greek, and participated in plays to better myself. One of the people that fascinated me was Nii Amassah Kotey, with his flair for debating, and his mastery of the spoken English. I remember on one occasion during evening studies in one of the classrooms, he, Ebo and others were in an argument. He got disgusted with them, packed up his books and as he was walking out, turned halfway in the doorway, and said clearly and with disgust, “Good Riddance to you”. That was the first time I had heard that expression, and said to myself, “this guy is cool”. Nii Amassah is a natural.

I recall Mr. Duncan, the math teacher’s method of teaching which at the time I did not think much of but now wish I had more of. He would occasionally put up a math problem on the board and have us attempt to solve it on our own.

The bold ones would go to the board and take a crack at it. The rest of us would observe. If we don’t get it right he would show us the way to the answer. If we get it and there is an easier way he would show us that too.

Then there was Mr. Cooper, English teacher. Aside from the formal course material and reading material, he introduced us to reading novels as a hobby, with a huge selection he made for us that were usually available at the school library. Many of these novels have adventure and imaginative thought, and for me, it was a way to lose myself into a fantasy world. The science fiction novels such as, “The day of the Chrysallids”, introduced me to all kinds of scientific imaginations. The Collected Short Stories by W. Somerset Maugham, became my favorite. The author has a knack for introducing you to all kinds of human characters, the good, the bad and the ugly….. their strengths and weaknesses. For example there was the story of the married and overzealous religious missionary that set out to convert a notorious prostitute, only to end up in bed with her, and committed suicide as a result of that.

With that story in mind, Father Aggrey’s transgression did not surprise me. I had already formed my opinion about the frailty of the human character.

But, if life at Adisadel were only limited to academic work, we would likely not have had pleasant memories of the place. We got informal entertainment from both teachers and students through their antics and mishaps. There was the rumor of the teacher that was so drunk walking home one night, and he imagined seeing a tall ghostly apparition, and his drunkenness evaporated as he ran, no dashed, home for dear life. Whether this story was true or not, was not the point. We enjoyed sharing it. Was he also the guy nicknamed, “Gascon Wine”?

I remember Mr. Oza, the rebel chemistry teacher who so wanted to get under the great Paa Colo’s skin, that one day he deliberately untucked his shirt to pay the headmaster a visit. Upon entrance into the office, Paa Colo yelled out, “Mr. Oza, get out of my office.” With a lot of glee, Mr. Oza came out and told any student who would listen. Mr Oza also had a favorite question for students. It went like this, “There is one teacher in this school. He doesn’t teach anything. He goes around the school looking at buildings. Do you know who he is?” Usually students in politeness would say “No Sir”, and he would respond, “It is your own headmaster”, which would bring giggles and laughter.

I had a morbid fear of Orleans-Pobee. The guy would not hesitate to cane you for the least offense. One time I was out in flip-flops, and came face to face with him. He looked at me and said, “Follow me, wearing “tokota” outside, instead of shoes”. In a meek voice I said, “Sir, I have a sore on my foot.” It was athlete’s foot lesion. He looked at it, made a derogatory remark about my lesion and walked away. I suspect he was more upset about not being able to exercise his cane, than my condition. That athlete’s foot saved me a lashing. Because of my fear of Paa Colo, Oza became my hero for his antics.

By way of student antics who would ever forget Hughes, (Kofi Keke), who was not afraid to cunningly get in anyone’s face. He once wore a really stinky cloth to Sunday evening church service, and when he reached where the headmaster was sitting, he shook the cloth to adjust it. The stench that wafted out into the holy chamber still lingers even today. Based on that, Orleans decreed that the only cloth acceptable in church was the Kente Cloth.

We also enjoyed Kofi Keke yelling out to Mr. McLaughlin, the Canadian, “I have seen you, Mr. James Bond”, as Mr. McLaughlin was waiting to catch students coming back from the village. For timid law abiding students like me, we enjoyed the antics of the bold ones. The exploits of Erskine and others brought me the satisfaction of the adventure that I dreamed of but did not have the courage to engage in.

I also remember my fellow Taadi Senior, Temeng Amoako (Elliott House), a year ahead of us. He had a swagger, long before even the seamen knew what a swagger is, and he had the sweet talk and the charm to get every girl he wanted! Life sure was sweet for some!

Let’s also not forget those occasions when you said something you wish you could take back because it either got you into big trouble or caused you great embarrassment.

In Elliott House there was George Tiniye, one year ahead of us. Big and strong. He took up the 440 yard dash, one year, for Elliott House. When the race started he started strong, and way ahead of everyone. By the last curve, his legs would not cooperate. It was a disaster. In the night a group of us juniors were discussing the race, thinking

George was asleep in his bed. Well, out of my mouth, loud and clear came the words, “George was running like a wild goat”! Whereupon George sprang up from bed and yelled, “You this boy, you are growing horns, and I have to break them off”. I was shaking like a leaf. It took a number of seniors to convince George from turning me into pulp.

Then there is the Ebo moment. In 6^th form some of the great senior mathematicians showed up to take the math contest organized by the Mathematics Association of Ghana. After the event, Ebo comes to me and tells me this, in

Fanti, “Abeku, talk to your brother Ato, (Joshua (Ato) was in Form 4, at that time) that when we senior mathematicians meet to participate in a math contest, we don’t want small boys like him showing up”. Of course it was all said in jest. But when the national prizes were announced the only Adisadel prize went to the small boy. That is called eating the humble pie.

It is refreshing to note the comment by Jason, that the exploits by Kwawu (Jomo) and Gaisie in track and field inspired him to take up cross country running. This I believe is the benefit of the close-knit society we enjoyed, being inspired by each other to do better, whether in the classroom, or in sports, or the arts. I for one, was fascinated by the great track and field athletes of our time, Ampratwum, Solomon (Solo) to name a few. But I did not have the physical body to compete at a high level, being a late bloomer. At the end of Form 5, my growth spurt was complete, and I came to 6^th form ready to compete in track. In 6^th Form, Coleman (Cooleeo!) joined us from Ghana National and was the undisputed sprints champion.

My sudden emergence as a high level sprinter as Jason puts it, was not an accident. At the end of Lower 6, I determined to beat Coleman in sprints. During the long vacation I did sprint training against resistance at the beachside, and at home, to strengthen my muscles. I also consumed a lot of proteins to build my muscles. Athletes come to school 2 weeks earlier to start training. During the school training session I was beating Coleman and getting praise from Mr. Agbo. That motivated Coleman to take his game to a higher level. He got serious, and caught up with me and regained his crown. The end result was that the two of us had become a formidable pair in the sprint relay, and laid the Central Region Schools to waste. At the finals in Accra we tied for first in the 4 X 110 yards relay.

And that, was the culmination of my growth and development at Adisadel. I believe, that camaraderie and positive competiveness we all shared would not have been possible in a Day School environment. _________________________________________________

PART III
Reminiscences of Adisadel College.
TIM KARIKARI, M.S, Licensed Professional Engineer.

(alias Tim Joe Kaks –nick name at Adisadel-1960-67-Elliott House).

I want to tell a story between Paa Colo( the Late R.T. Orleans-Pobee, Adisadel Headmaster, 1963-74) and me. I don’t know if the rest of our class mates remember the plague that was visited upon us in 1965 during the holidays when, as was the custom, all 5^th Form students (Olympians) had to stay on campus during the holidays to prepare for the GCE “O” Level Exams. The plague I am talking about lasted several months. It descended on the campus that year, and made the lives of some us miserable whenever the powdery substance from their wings got on our skin. It caused us to itch terribly to the extent that some of us had to resort to the use of a white or pink lotion ( calomina lotion) to soothe the itching.

Now one day, I had just gotten out of my dormitory (Elliot House) with my blue shirt untucked, just hanging out loosely over my shorts, walking leisurely to go and study in one of the empty classrooms. I was completely unaware that Paa Colo was standing in his office and looking out the window. He saw me with my shirt not tucked in as required by the dress code. I had just walked past the clock tower on my way to the classroom when he sent the messenger to come and get me to go to his office. As soon as I got to his office he was ready with a cane. He closed the door and actually gave me a couple of lashes on my buttocks for violating the dress code. While the action was going on, he was saying over and over that he was caning me to put some sense and discipline into me.

I will never forget that encounter. But I think it made me a better person. I did develop a lot of respect for him thereafter. After we finished the “O” Level Exams in June, 1965, and I went home, I told my father about the incident. My father promptly chastised me, and told me that I deserved the caning for being disobedient!

Paa Colo was instrumental in getting the Chinese government to build Adisadel a gymnasium, probably the first for any secondary school in Ghana. Those of us in 6^th Form at the time ended up facing some unfortunate situation. One of our Anglican Reverend Fathers, Father Aggrey, had been involved in some morality issues. That caused a lot of our excellent expatriate teachers to leave. After a meeting with Paa Colo, he arranged for Dr. Sundaram and his wife, both , lecturers in Chemistry at the University of Ghana, Legon, in Accra, to travel to Cape Coast, once a week, to teach us physical chemistry. Those of us who were studying physics, chemistry and maths, or physics, chemistry and biology, had had some difficulty with our Chemistry Teacher at the time.. We had no Father Gillett to teach us organic chemistry over a sustained period because he also had left. Nor did we have Mr. Duncan to teach us Pure or Applied Maths. We had to rely on ourselves most of the time. I remember we used to meet at night in that small 6^th Form Maths Class Room and tried to solve Calculus( integration and differentiation) problems as well as physics problems. Those were the days when we had our mates like Assani who came from Aggrey Memorial Secondary School (we used to call him Dean) and Kofi Inkabi trying hard to often explain how they came up with solutions to some of the problems in the pure maths text book we were using.

May Kofi Eduafo Inkabi’s soul rest in peace. I attended his burial when his body was brought home to Winneba from California. Late Kofi Inkabi had been sponsored by the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and

Technology, Kumasi, to pursue a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering, at the University of California, Berkely At that time, I was a Lecturer at the University of Cape Coast, where I taught agricultural engineering to undergraduate students.

I sincerely believe that the class of 65 was an extraordinary class. After going through a lot of obstacles, Adisadel produced scholars like Ebo Richardson, Bob Baafi and Nii Saban Quao who won ASPAU Awards to come to American Ivy League Universities. Together with Godfred Otuteye( ’64) and Emanuuel Ablorh(’64), Adisadel

College was the only School that sent FIVE students off on the 1967 ASPAU Scholarships to study Science at

American Universities. This was no ordinary achievement. Those guys followed the footsteps blazed by William

Mould(’63), Victor Pappoe(’63) (nick name-B Maths) and Addy Trallance(’63) who were ahead of us, and were the first Adisadel Students to be awarded ASPAU Awards. They have all done our alma mater proud and truly exemplify the words in the school ode, “Alma Mater of Great Men”.

I see in my mind’s eye folks like Dr. Godfrey Gaisie( currently Pediatric Radiologist in the U.S.), Dr. Jason Ofori

Akyea (now Jason Ofori,)(Ophthalmologist in the U.S.), Samuel B. Quarshie (Elliott House; nick names-Chairman

Mao, Omas), Tekyi Mensah (Knight House), Eddie Nyamekye (nick name-Eddie Y), Ransford Lartey (Elliott House), George Abaka Amuah (Quaque House; nick name-Charles Atlas), Kumi (Hamyln House), Alfred Doodo (Knight House), Panford (Knight House) who came from Accra Academy but studied Physics, Maths, Maths, Dr.

Awotwi (Hamlyn)( currently Rev.Dr. Awotwi, a Methodist Pastor and Pediatric Doctor in the U.S.), the late Dr. Matthew Asuah-Kwesi (Elliott House-nick name-Monsieur, may he rest in eternal peace). The sad thing is that I was his best man at his wedding, but because we did not keep in touch, I didn’t know he had passed away. Samuel Quarshie went to represent the Class of ‘ 65 at the funeral. I felt bad for having lost touch with Dr. Asuah-Kwesi..

At this point there are too many names for me to mention, if I have to include folks like Abbam Quartey, Samson

Kojo Sarfo, Amassah Kortey, Amoah Baah Nuarko (Professor of Economics), Robert Nartey (Professor), Isaac Kwarteng (Jubilee House), the Percy Amartefio (Aglionby), the late Victor Okoh (Attorney at Law – may he rest in peace), Ben Akumanyi, etc. Reminiscing a little bit more, I remember Leslie Armah (Canterbury House)( currently in Canada). I know Leslie was an excellent student in Phsyics, Maths, Maths. And of course, Ebo Richardson was ahead of the game with his Physics, Maths, Maths, French, as well as his penchant for Kirchoff’s Law, whenever we went to the physics lab to do experiments from the Advanced Level Physics Lab Book by Nelkon. I recall Ebo used to brag about that law and potentiometers. No wonder he ended up being an Emeritus Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the U.S.

It’s been more than 50 years since we left Upper 6^th at Adisadel. Somehow, I do sometimes remember these experiences as if they just happened yesterday. It’s amazing, Anyway. I feel somewhat emotional and wanted to let it all out, and above all, to continue to touch base with the rest of the group for their love for our alma mater and their consistent contributions to make Adisadel great at all times.

I have been in government service in the Washington D.C. area for almost 35 years and each day my mind and my body keep telling me it’s time to retire. I have put in enough time.

P.S. The late Dr. Matthew Asuah-Kwesi coined this nick name for me out of the blue and somehow it stuck with me. I can only surmise that this happened because the two of us grew up in Takoradi as child hood friends while attending elementary schools across from each other. I guess being from Takoradi (a harbor or port city) we had this hipness about us and were used to calling each other by various nick names we could think of and because of the influence from the seamen we encountered who had their own local slang in the way they communicated and this in a way rubbed off on us and in our behavior

Now on a serious note, may the soul of our beloved headmaster, R.T. Orleans-Pobee (affectionately dubbed Paa Colo) rest in eternal peace and may the angels watch over him at all times.

PART IV
Adisadel 1960-67: An Anthology.
Jason Ofori MD, FACS.( Ophthalmologist)
I arrived at Adisadel in Mid September 1960, 2 weeks after my classmates had arrived. I was on the “waiting list”. My classmates were settled in and sophomoric and already were Santaclausians. I was raw and jejune. Everyone around me seemed to be smarter than me. I did not excel in any particular field in the classroom or on the field but I got involved in as many activities as I could. Throughout my years at Adisadel I learned a lot from my classmates. I learned from what my peers did or said. I observed and listened mostly and when I spoke I was glad my mates lent me their ears. I’m extremely grateful to my mates and peers for tolerating and indulging me.

Several years ago I saw the movie ‘Dead Poets Society’ and it reminded me of what we called the Sanhedrin. We met on the steps leading to the ground floor of Hamlyn House closer to the administration block, and had lively discussion and analysis of inconsequential and issues of importance on Friday and Saturday evenings. I always looked forward to the first few hours of each semester when I could soak up the current cosmopolitan zeitgeist from J O Kumi, who lived in Accra and whose family history, was an inspiration and who unselfishly helped me in my first year to study and keep pace and become competent and sufficient. I’m indeed eternally grateful to him.

My first Science class the day after I arrived on the Hill, was taught by Mr Wilmot, a rather smallish inscrutable Briton with a pinched undulating furrowed brow, beaked shaped nose, deep penetrating eyes, wild beard and a harsh strident voice. He asked “What is air and does air have weight? We made several ineffective attempts to define and characterize air. He then proposed that we do an experiment to prove that air has weight. He collected simple objects, a balance beam, weights and 2 balloons. He then systematically led us through a write up of hypothesis, aim, equipment, method, observations and conclusions. At the end of the class I was in awe! My eyes and mind had been opened. I was hooked on science from then on!

During the first semester, I foolishly assumed that one did not have to study math. I thought it was innate, until I saw Yaw Banahene (Hamlyn) study and ace a math exam. I detested my hand writing and admired Bampoe’s (Hamlyn) and had him demonstrate penmanship to me and I practiced all semester to improve to my liking.

On the Track and Field team, Kwawu’s cross country and distance running was impressive. So was the apparent sudden celebratory emergence of Gaisie as an elite sprinter. Their exploits inspired me a few years later to pick up recreational cross country running.

There was that chilling and paralyzing effect that engulfed every one, for a considerable length of time, when a suicide death occurred on campus one Sunday morning.. And who, but the intrepid and inveterate Ganiyu, who happened to discover and report the haunting, distressing and horrifying spectacle. No one slept in the deceased’s Knight House dormitory section for a week, except one of our mates whose name I have forgotten. By his action he shattered for me the demoralizing and paralyzing effect of fear on forlorn boys and the liberating and empowering influence of rationality.

I was impressed when I saw a student, class of ‘65Canterbury, practicing incessantly to convert to southpaw and he succeeded. I imitated him to some extent and this has been immensely helpful in my surgical career.

Some time ago I drove 100 miles to see a college production of an ancient Greek tragedian play Antigone, Why? because 40 years earlier, I was impressed, pleasantly surprised and intrigued to see Attakorah play a leading role when it was produced at Adisadel. Thereafter, several engaging discussions and conversations with Kojo Safo and Emmanuel Quarcoo (6th form Canterbury) initiated my interest in History and Literature. That helped synthesize for me the unity of the Arts and Sciences.

I always hoped that one day I would walk onto the stage to receive a prize on speech day. What I appreciate most is that the challenge and effort, the envy of others, that made me set for myself such goal, made me better. I achieved that goal in Sixth form.

Even after more than fifty years, following anecdotes and personalities remain indelibly etched in my mind:

• Kwamina Biney (Hamlyn) going to the Sick Bay to see an Oriental School Nurse with the complaint of ear ache. When the Nurse asks him which ear? He replied 1964! Which ear? she asked again? He answered, 1964. The nurse, exasperated said ‘go away come back when you make sense.’

• The times we traded our deserts for J D Awotwi’s (Hamlyn 65,67) meat or fish, he being vegetarian, sometimes 3-4 weeks in advance and had who was on deck committed to memory.

• With great respect and admiration the indefatigable Chaka, the headman of the laborers, whose dedication to duty, fair treatment of those under him and who always went beyond the call of duty to keep our environment clean. He often helped carry students ‘Etats’ boxes on arrival or departure to or from the campus.

• Jack, a Liberian national, who was the Head Steward in the Dining Hall, and who catered to generations of Santaclausians, in his immaculate starched attire who made sure that our meals were ready on time, safe and well served. He was in every morning at 5:30am and left at 8:00pm or later. He famously once asked a new Homo his name and when the kid said ‘Amavi” Jack sighed “Oh Big Amivi come Big Amavi go Little Amavi come Little Amavi go. And now small Amavi come Oh Jack I’m grows!

• Saban Quao (Quaque ’65, 67) and I reconnected in Bolgatanga when he was in Ghana to collect blood samples for his senior Medical School Research project at Yale University. He was singularly immensely instrumental and helpful at the beginning, in setting my very satisfying professional trajectory in the US.

• Mr Baskerville, who everyday, with a shilling worth of bread under his arm, walk briskly from the dinning Hall to the Masters Common room for cups and cups of coffee during break time to the consternation and utter chagrin of our Chemistry teacher of Indian descent.

I recall the sudden appearance of Peace Corps USA, CUSO Canadian University Service Organization, British, Australia & New Zealand Overseas Service Organization teachers on the campus upon returning to the campus from summer vacation in 1963. They were mostly young and hip, wearing shorts and sneakers, very open and willing to mingle with us share their or our peanuts and were dismissive of the practice of all student rising as the teacher entered the classroom. Quite a dramatic instructive and eye-opening difference from the rather stiff upper lip class conscious generation we were used to. These were teachers and kids who were willing to listen to you and within limits considered you an equal partner and asked basic questions that made me reconsider my previous positions. I vowed to go to where they were from to experience and learn more about their way of life and education.

T J Drury was the headmaster when we arrived on campus. The school had just celebrated the Golden Jubilee anniversary. He had orchestrated a massive construction expansion of the School. It included a new Science lab between Knight and Canterbury Houses, the Fifth and Sixth form classrooms, Jubilee and Anglionby Houses. The construction expansion also led to the building of the new, Quaque House, ( ie the entire Katanga complex), expansion of the Dining Hall, the new School athletic field and pavilion, Masters flats and several Masters Bungalows.

Headmaster Drury had assembled a teaching staff that I believe gave the year groups of the 1960s a solid foundation for subsequent academic successes. I recall TJ Drury getting everyone, Masters and al, l to raise funds from everywhere including our homes and environs during a vacation break. The fundraising culminated in a grand bazaar at the Cape Coast Community Center. That raised enough money to construct the Gymnasium with volunteer student labour under supervision of A Lang Construction Company. Mrs. Drury was the Red Cross leader, and volunteered as an unpaid Domestic Bursar for 2 or 3 years. I recall her canvassing embassies in Accra, to donate, Cheese, Nonfat Milk, rice, yellow corn, Chicken neck & feet and mutton meat, corned beef we dubbed

“Horse meat”.
She made sure, in the dining hall, that no one went hungry or dissatisfied. Mr.Drury made sure that every Master and all students were involved in any Saturday morning activity of the Student’s choice. The School Poultry farm was soon producing enough eggs to feed us. I stress and go at length here to highlight the often unattributed and perhaps unappreciated or underappreciated monumental contribution of T J Drury to Adisadel. He passed away in the early 1980’s and I think his memory deserves to be richly enshrined on the Campus in the Adisadel pantheon, in the company of Hamlyn, Anglionby, Knight, Elliot et al.

Orleans Pobee succeeded T J Drury. He was a strict disciplinarian. He kept alive the Adisadel spirit and sustained the the high academic standards and supported enthusiastically extra curricular activities, encouraged the arts and music development - the orchestra, jazz and choral clubs. He brought Guy Warren and other artists for a 3 day weekend of Music Festival. He was an empowering and stabilizing force through the years he was the headmaster for which he is fondly remembered and appreciated.

In my opinion, a strategic plan for the next Adisadel century should seriously consider expansion into a University (circa: Adisadel College!) - Liberal Arts, Business Education, Computer Science etc. 6th Form was already equivalent to Freshman and Sophomore years of College. A Dual parallel coexisting Secondary and College Institution template already exist. Infrastructure is already in place. This may sound too far from left field and may seem impossible to achieve. I recognize that. But see how far Adisadel has come with progressive thinkers and doers in 100 years.

Foreat!!!
Jason Ofori MD, FACS.
Diseases and Surgery of the Eyes.
Toledo OH.
PART V
Reminiscences of Adisadel College of the 1960s:

Arrival on The Hill, Settling into Quaque House.

By Albert O. Ebo Richardson, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus, Electrical & Computer Engineering,

California State University, Chico
I dedicate my memories of Adisadel to my friend and fellow Quaquarian, the Late Kofi Akumanyi.

I arrived on the Adisadel College Campus, Cape Coast, one mid-morning in September 1960. I had travelled from Agona-Swedru by public transportation, accompanied by my father, Mr. J.W. Richardson. He had retired, in 1958, from the British Trading Company, The United Africa Company(U.A.C.) of Ghana Ltd. My father had demonstrated his ‘excitement’ of personally “delivering me to The ‘European Headmaster’ at Adisadel College, Mr. T.J. Drury”! I must point out, that my father had worked for forty years for U.A.C., during the colonial years. He believed that he had experienced, been a part of and encountered, high level managerial efficiency among the expatriate managers in U.A.C. Such high level management efficiency did not appear to my father to be evident within the newly established Ghanaian companies of the new, Independent Ghana.

Both my father and I were elated to finally meet The Adisadel Headmaster, “The T.J.Drury”, the Classicist from

Cambridge University, U.K. When we saw him, he was with another newly-arrived Form One student,….Benjamin

Kofi Akumanyi! Drury put both Akumanyi and me in Quaque House as our Dormitory. At the time, History

Master, Mr. Francis Agbodeka( later became Professor of History at Cape Coast University), was the Quaque

Housemaster. Whether Drury’s pre-planned Dormitory Roster of Students actually had both Akumanyi and me designated as Quaquarians or not, I prefer to believe that Drury instantly sensed some friendship chemistry between me and Akumanyi. He put us in the same House, ‘Quaque House’.

The friendship between me and Akumanyi must have been nourished by a certain simple fact. I was from humble Agona-Swedru. Upon my arrival at Adisadel, the first classmate that I had met within our Class of 1965 group, was a lively and friendly person from a similarly down-to-earth town called Abura Dunkwa. ‘Agona-Swedru’ met

‘Abura Dunkwa’. Wow! Each of us was somewhat unsure about how ‘ordinary people’ like us from AgonaSwedru and Abura Dunkwa were going to fare at Adisadel. Were we going to be able to hold our own academically, culturally and socially, among our classmates? Many of our classmates had come from well-known and bustling cosmopolitan centers such as Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi, Cape Coast, Koforidua, Ho and Tamale.

Surprisingly, it did not take long before many of our fellow Adisadel students started making us realize that our two towns , Agona-Swedru and Abura Dunkwa , were indeed household names all over the country. Many of our classmates, in good humor, sang the song: “ Abura Dunkwa, mbaa wo ho..,; se me nya sika mo ko Dunkwa, mbaa wo ho; se me nya sika mo ko Dunkwa mbaa wo ho..”. In the same vein, when some students found out that I was from Agona-Swedru, they humorously broke into that famous and powerful “Swedru Rap Song” thus: “ Swedru ebue, Swedru ebue, putu putu fem fem; me fa ha piing, me fa ha ponng; Abrofo enyiwa ….” . That was truly and literally music to our ears. For, mighty Adisadel and the Santaclausian family had affirmed the ‘star status’ of Abura Dunkwa and Agona-Swedru! We had hit the ground running, determined to go all the way to success. Our feelings and aspirations could be summed up in the words of the famous American Rhythm and Blues Duo: McFadden & Whitehead, in their 1979 Disco Song: “Ain’t no stoppin’ us now; We’re on the move;”

I have often wondered why Headmaster T.J. Drury did not put me in Knight House. When I arrived for Form One, my older cousin, Thomas Richardson, whose immediate family lived in Nsawam, was in Form Three, and in Knight House. Drury must certainly have known, through the entrance application process( especially from the interviews) that I was related to Thomas Richardson. He probably wanted me to learn to be independent, and to take advantage of the privilege of meeting new people and forming new bonds and friendships.

My Quaquarian friends and I did not let Drury down. In Quaque House, I met and formed great and lasting bonds of friendship with some wonderful people, some of whom were my classmates. Many others were my Seniors or Juniors. There was Kofi Akumanyi, whom I have already mentioned above. And then there were Nii Saban Quao, Abaka Amoah(alias Charles Atlas, who was much envied for his sheer physical strength, which he frequently and proudly projected, and his brilliant performances in Disc and Javelin throw during both intra-murals and InterCollegiate Sports Competitions), William Kyeremateng, and Ofosu. Others, who were my Seniors, were Ampim( alias Chano Pozo, whose fearsome height, size, strength, and his successes in Disc and Javelin throw, were legendary), Ankobea, Felix Danso, Akaifi(alias Pat Logan, the self-confident man from Sekondi-Takoradi),

Kwamena Dugan( from Cape Coast), Sam Parry( the “Nkrumah Politician”, and proud Efutu man of Winneba and Senya Breku), “Mr. Asoweh”……for.. ‘ I swear’”( his real name? He was a fantastic, indefatigable Hockey player).

There was also Senior Sackey, the self-effacing, non-assuming , Scholar and budding Guitarist, who regularly serenaded us in the Quaque House Dormitory after lights out, between 9PM and 9:30PM. He usually sat on his bed, his acoustic guitar in hand, and demonstrated a mastery of live traditional, heavy-duty Ghanaian HighLife Guitar music. Sackey was so good on the guitar that several Quaquarians, including Akumanyi, took to learning to play the guitar. Sackey’s most captivating and exhilarating live performance was his rendition of that powerful 1960s highlife song by Akompi’s Guitar Band: “ Ose obeko oh, …..”, translated: “She Says She’ll Go”. Such harmless ‘rule-breaking’, free, low decibel but great entertainment at 9:30PM, occurred during lights out, in Quaque House! Where were the Quaque House Prefects? Where was the House Master? I suppose everyone, including the house

Prefect, enjoyed it so much that they all resorted to letting sleeping dogs lie. What a ‘Happy Hour’. Those were such happy times.

I did my first six years of Elementary School education at the African Methodist Episcopal Zion( A.M.E. Zion)

School, in Tantri, Cape Coast. I had been pleasantly surprised, that among my former Primary School classmates( Class 1 to Class 6/Standard 3) at the Cape Coast A.M.E. Zion School from 1952 to 1958, several of them were also attending Adisadel College. These were: Joseph Blankson, Ebow Mayne, Amoono-Kuoffie , and Amizang.

So right from Form One, in 1960, my experience in Adisadel was like a kid in a candy store. Apart from the great variety of academic offerings, Adisadel was brimming with all manner of extracurricular opportunities. So, along the way from Quaque House to Class of 1965, and HeadPru’67, I would dabble in many activities……. Adisadel Symphony School Orchestra Cello Player, Student Pianist/Organist for Morning Assembly and Sunday Mornings Methodists/Presbytarians Services, Student Leader of the Adisadel French Club, and last but not least, the man who famously invoked the unforgettable greeting to visiting students from Togo: “ Mes Amis du Togo”.

Good heavens. There were so many memorable anecdotes that come to mind every time I think of Quaque House. I will close by recounting one of my most memorable experiences in Quaque House..

In line with the Anglican Tradition at Adisadel College, Students in each House were, as a group, required to participate, at the end of each day, just before bed time, in a “Compline” . It was an evening “ Hymn singing and prayers”, usually led by the House Prefect. Some evenings, the Housemaster would join us for the ‘Compline’. The Church of England defines “Compline” thus( courtesy of Google):

“The ancient office of Compline derives its name from a Latin word meaning ‘completion’( completorioum). It is above all a service of quietness and reflection before rest at the end of the day.”

At ‘Compline’ Quaque House students would assemble in the House Common Room, on the First Floor of Dormitory Building. At the end of the hymn singing and the prayers, the House Prefect would ‘dismiss’ the students in some orderly fashion by seniority, thus:

First, “ ‘Members of the Establishment are dismissed, and will exit the Quaque House Common Room”. Sixth Formers were the “Members of the Establishment”.

Second, “ The Seniors are dismissed, and will exit the room.” Those are Form Five and Form Four Students.

Finally, “ The ‘Hoi Polloi’ ( οι πολλοι), are dismissed”. These are those in Forms One to Three. They are ‘The plebeians’, ‘The Nonentities’,’The Proletariat’, ‘The Rank and File’, ‘The Riffraff’. The Greek word : “ οι πολλοι”, which appears in English as “hoi polloi”, translates as : the masses, the common people, the populace, the lower order! And, as Homos(first year students ) and Juniors, we accepted our insignia of lowliness( namely “hoi polloi”) with tremendous pride, and anticipation for better years to come! We knew, as my Nigerians friends often say, “no condition is permanent”.

Quaque House was such a grand place, full of students with erudition. Thirteen year old students quickly learned to speak in grandiloquent terms, in full solidarity with our Adisadel can-do spirit. And oh do I miss my good friend and fellow Quaquarian, the Late Benjamin Kofi Akumanyi. May he rest in peace.

Long Live Quaque House. Long Live Adisadel.
PART VI
AUTHORS’ BRIEF EDUCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

1. DR. GODFREY ABEKU GAISIE, ELLIOTT HOUSE(PHYSICS, CHEMISTRY, BIOLOGY);

ATHLETE( SPRINT RUNNER)
M.B., B.S, GHANA MED. SCH., POSTGRAD HOWARD UNIV.,

PEDIATRICS POSTGRAD, UNIV. OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, PEDIATRIC RADIOLOGY..

PEDIATRIC RADIOLOGIST( AKRON CHILDREN’S HOSP.), PROFESSOR OF RADIOLOGY AT THE NORTHEAST OHIO MEDICAL UNIVERSITY, AKRON OHIO

2. MR. TIMOTHY KARIKARI, ELLIOTT HOUSE( PHYSICS, MATHEMATICS, CHEMISTRY).

SOCCER PLAYER
B.Sc(HONS), AGRIC. MECHAN., UNIV. OF GHANA, LEGON; M.S., AGRIC. ENG., IOWA

STATE UNIV.; M.S., CIVIL ENG., HOWARD UNIV.; LIC. PROF. ENG.,;

FORMER LECTURER, CAPE COAST UNIV.,
SUPERVISORY ENVIRON. ENG., BRANCH CHIEF, D.C. DEPT. OF ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT.

3. DR. JASON OFORI, HAMLYN HOUSE ( PHYSICS, CHEMISTRY, BIOLOGY);

HAMLYN HOUSE PREFECT 1966-67
MB., B.S., GHANA MED SCH., POSTGRAD. RESIDENCY, COLUMBIA UNIV., HARLEM

HOSPITAL; FELLOW OF AMERICAN ACADEMY OF OPHTHALMOLOGY, FELLOW OF

AMERICAN COLEGE OF SURGEONS(FACS),
OPHTHALMOLOGIST(RETIRED), THE TOLEDO CLINIC(VISION ASSOCIATES), OHIO.

4. PROF. A. O. EBO RICHARDSON, PH.D., QUAQUE HOUSE, HEAD PREFECT 1967; (PHYSICS, MATHEMATICS, ADDITIONAL MATHEMATICS, FRENCH).

ADISADEL ORCHESTRA( CELLO), SCHOOL ASSEMBLY HALL & CHURCH PIANIST/ORGANIST

PRESIDENT OF FRENCH CLUB; ASPAU SCHOLARSHIP 1967( YALE UNIV)

B.S., ENGINEERING & APPLIED SCIENCE( YALE), M.S.E.E( CASE WESTERN RESERVE

UNIV); Ph.D, ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING( PENN STATE UNIV.)

PROF. EMERITUS, ELECTRICAL & COMPUTER ENG., CALIFORNIA STATE UNIV., CHICO.