Noma Award for Publishing in Africa
1 appearances
-
Edition 20 (1997) Winner
Albert Kwadwo Adu Boahen
アルバート・クワドゥ・アデュ・ボアヘン
Arubāto Kuwadu Adu Boahen
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1932-05-24 （Oseim, Eastern Province, Gold Coast (now Eastern Region, Ghana)）
- Died
- 2006-05-24 （Accra, Greater Accra Region, Ghana） age 74
- Nationality
- Ghanaian
- Languages
- English
- Religion
- Presbyterian (Protestant)
- Residence History
- Oseim (Eastern Region) → Cape Coast (Mfantsipim School) → Legon (University of Ghana) → Accra (later life)
Career
- Occupations
- Historian, University professor, Politician, Author
- Active Years
- 1956-2006
- Affiliations
- University of Ghana (Department of History), New Patriotic Party (NPP), Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, UNESCO (General History of Africa committee)
- Memberships
- Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences
- Influenced By
- J. F. Ade Ajayi, Michael Crowder
- Influenced
- Ghanaian historians and students, Democracy activists and opposition politicians (from 1990s)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mfantsipim School | — | Secondary education | — | — | Gold Coast (now Ghana) |
| University College of the Gold Coast (now University of Ghana) | — | History | Bachelor | 1953–1956 | Gold Coast (now Ghana) |
| School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London | — | African History | Ph.D. | 1956–1959 | United Kingdom |
Mfantsipim School
Secondary education
Country:
Gold Coast (now Ghana)
Secondary school education (pre-university)
University College of the Gold Coast (now University of Ghana)
History
Degree:
Bachelor
Period:
1953–1956
Year of Graduation:
1956
Country:
Gold Coast (now Ghana)
BA in History
School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London
African History
Degree:
Ph.D.
Period:
1956–1959
Year of Graduation:
1959
Country:
United Kingdom
Awarded Ph.D. in African history in 1959 (one of the first Ghanaians to do so)
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Avicenna Silver Medal | — | — | UNESCO | 受賞 |
| 2006 | Order of the Star of Ghana | — | 国家栄誉 | Republic of Ghana | 追贈 |
Avicenna Silver Medal
Organization:
UNESCO
Result:
受賞
Order of the Star of Ghana
2006
Category:
国家栄誉
Organization:
Republic of Ghana
Result:
追贈
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Britain, the Sahara and the Western Sudan 1788–1861
1964 Scholarly work (History)A dissertation-based study of relations between Britain and regional powers in West Africa prior to and during early colonial expansion.
ColonialismRegional relationsTrade and power dynamics
Topics in West African History
1966 Academic essaysA collection of essays addressing various issues in West African history.
Regional historySource criticism
Ghana: Evolution and Change in the 19th and 20th Centuries
1975 Modern historyAn overview of Ghana's social, political and economic changes across the 19th and 20th centuries.
Nation formationColonial to post-colonial transitions
The Ghanaian Sphinx: Reflections on the Contemporary History of Ghana, 1972–1987
1989 Contemporary history / CommentaryLectures and essays on Ghanaian political history from 1972 to 1987, including lectures credited with breaking the 'culture of silence' during Rawlings' rule.
Political historySpeech and democracy
African Perspectives on Colonialism
1987 Scholarly work (Colonialism studies)A reassessment of colonialism from African perspectives.
Critique of colonialismHistorical perspectives
Bibliography
- Britain, the Sahara and the Western Sudan 1788–1861 (1964)
- Topics in West African History (1966)
- Ghana: Evolution and Change in the 19th and 20th Centuries (1975)
- The Revolutionary Years: West Africa Since 1800 (1975)
- Politics in Ghana, 1800–1874 (1977, contribution)
- African Perspectives on Colonialism (1987)
- The Ghanaian Sphinx: Reflections on the Contemporary History of Ghana, 1972–1987 (1989)
- Mfantsipim and the making of Ghana: A Centenary History, 1876–1976 (1996)
- Yaa Asantewaa and the Asante–British War of 1900–1 (2003)
- Africa in the Twentieth Century: The Adu Boahen Reader (2005)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Scholarly and clear expositionPrimary-source-oriented analysisPersuasive public intellectual style
- Recurring Motifs
- Legacies of colonialismNation-building in GhanaDemocracy and civil liberties
Legacy
Adu Boahen was a leading scholar of Ghanaian and West African history who exerted influence in both academia and politics. His 1988 lectures are credited with breaking the 'culture of silence' under military rule. His scholarly legacy is preserved, including a memorial library and archive at the University of Ghana.
Museums
- Adu Boahen Memorial Library and Archive (University of Ghana) Legon, Department of History, University of Ghana (near Accra) Opened in 2023
Academic Societies
- Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences
Archives
- Adu Boahen Memorial Library and Archive (University of Ghana)
In Popular Culture
- State funeral and national mourning in 2006
- Memorial symposia and retrospectives in academia and politics
Quotes
-
I am a liberal democrat, a believer in the freedom of the individual, the welfare of the governed, and in private enterprise and the market economy.
Source: Lectures / interviews (political self-description)
Trivia
- One of the first Ghanaians to receive a Ph.D. in African history from SOAS in 1959.
- Died on his 74th birthday, 24 May 2006.
- Father of Charles Adu Boahen (former deputy minister of finance) and Kwabena Boahen (professor at Stanford).