Robert Patrick Baffour: Meet the Ghanaian man who Became the First Vice Chancellor of KNUST
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, has had various leadership bodies come and go since its establishment on January 22, 1952 in the Ashanti region of Ghana.
PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see YEN.com.gh News on your News Feed!
The university was the dream of the then Asantehene, Agyeman Prempeh I, which was to have a tertiary institution that would bring modernization to the Ashanti Kingdom. It however took the efforts of his younger brother and successor Agyeman Prempeh II to bring the vision to life.
Source: UGC
Robert Patrick Baffour, a brilliant Ghanaian engineer and politician eventually became the very first vice chancellor of the university following his immense contribution in transforming the school from the then Kumasi College of Technology to Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in 1960.
The life history of Robert Patrick Baffour, a pace setter in the story of KNUST has been highlighted by YEN.com.gh;
Birth and family line of Robert Patrick Baffour
Robert was born to Maria Frederica Adwoa Kane and Robert Patrick Baffor Andoh on May 14, 1912 in Elmina in the Cape Coast region of Ghana.
Enjoy reading our stories? Join YEN.com.gh's Telegram channel for more!
The great grandfather of Robert was George Emil Eminsang, he was the very first Western educated lawyer in the then Gold Coast.
Academic journey of the first KNUST Vice Chancellor
When Robert became of age he pursued his basic education at a Catholic school in Elmina, and Okar Government School in Nigeria and the Richmond College.
He moved on to have his secondary education at the Mfantsipim School where he acquired a Cambridge Senior School certificate.
He moved on to Achimota College where he studied engineering and from there he became the first Ghanaian to obtain a mechanical engineering degree from the University of London in Ghana.
Entering the job force
Robert had his first job with the then Gold Coast Railway and from there, he moved on to become an engineering lecturer at the Achimota School.
Becoming the Vice-chancelor of KNUST.
Baffour became the principal of the university from 1960 to 1961 and after playing a key role in the transformation of the Kumasi College of Technology into Kwame Nkrumah University of Technology, he was appointed as the first vice-chancellor of the school in 1961.
His children
Robert's wife was a midwife and together, they gave birth to their son, Fritz Baffour in Accra.
Passing on
Robert Patrick Baffour passed on at the age of 81 at Elmina died through natural causes on June 6, 1993.
Meet the First Woman to Graduate from the Gold Coast
Meanwhile YEN.com.gh earlier reported that for many years, girl child education was fought for in Ghana and across many countries in the world.
As time went by, the notion that the female's place is in the kitchen faded out and more and more girls got the chance to receive proper formal education.
Charity Zormelo Fiawoo, an intelligent Ghanaian woman was one of such ladies who got to experience education beyond the informal type.
Our manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in
Source: YEN.com.gh
