Theodosia Salome Okoh | |
|---|---|
| Born | Theodosia Salome Abena Kumea Asihene (1922-06-13)13 June 1922 |
| Died | 19 April 2015(2015-04-19) (aged 92) |
| Citizenship | Ghanaian |
| Known for | Design of theflag ofGhana |
| Notable work | Ghana national flag |
| Title | Chairman of theGhana Hockey Association and President of the Ghana Hockey Federation[1] |
| Spouse | Enoch Kwabena Okoh |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | Rev. and Mrs Asihene |
| Relatives | Ian Jones-Quartey (grandson) Rebecca Sugar (granddaughter-in-law) |
Theodosia Salome Okoh (born 13 June 1922 – 19 April 2015)[2] was aGhanaian teacher and artist known for designingGhana's national flag in 1957.[3] She exhibited her artwork internationally.[4] She also played a leading role in the development of hockey in Ghana.[5] Her grandson isIan Jones-Quartey, creator ofOK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes, and her granddaughter-in-law isRebecca Sugar, creator ofSteven Universe.
She was born on 13 June 1922[6] as Theodosia Salome Abena Kumea Asihene inEffiduase[7] to the Very Reverend Emmanuel Victor Asihene, a former moderator of thePresbyterian Church of Ghana, and Madam Dora Asihene, both fromAnum in theAsuogyaman District of Ghana'sEastern Region.[8] She was the fourth of eight children. She had the opportunity to travel around Ghana and abroad with her father.[9]
She started school at Ashanti Efiduasi Primary School, continued to the Basel Mission Middle, Senior and Teacher Training Schools inAgogo and thenAchimota School, where she received three years training in Fine Art.[8]
When Ghana gained Independence fromBritain, there was the need for a new flag which was advertised. She submitted her design, which was adopted as the nationalflag of Ghana by the country's first president, Kwame Nkrumah, from 6 March 1957.[10] As she explained in an interview: "I decided on the three colors of red, gold and green because of the geography of Ghana. Ghana lies in the tropics and is blessed with rich vegetation. The color Gold was influenced by the mineral rich nature of our lands and Red commemorates those who died or worked for the country’s independence. The five-pointed lone star is symbolic of African emancipation and unity in the struggle against colonialism…."[11][12]
Theodosia Okoh was the first female chairman of the Ghana Hockey Association and later President of the Ghana Hockey Federation for more than 20 years,[1] and it was during her tenure that Ghana first qualified for both the Hockey World Cup and the Olympic Games.[13] She was named "the Joan of Arc of Ghana hockey" byOhene Djan "because she rose to the occasion to save Ghana hockey when men were faltering and vacillating about development of the game. This is also the reason why theNational Hockey Stadium was named after her in 2004".[14] She was a long-time patron of theSport Writers Association of Ghana.[7][15]
She was married to Enoch Kwabena Okoh,[16] Head of Civil Service in theKwame Nkrumah regime in the 1960s,[8] and had three children: E. Kwasi Okoh, Stanley Kwame Okoh and Theodosia Amma Jones-Quartey.[17]
She died on 19 April 2015 at theNarh-Bita Hospital inTema after a short illness, aged 92.[18] PresidentJohn Dramani Mahama directed that all flags should fly at half-mast for three days, starting from Tuesday, 21 April, in her honour.[19][20][21] A statement signed by Minister of CommunicationsEdward Omane Boamah said that the directive was "in honour of this extraordinary Ghanaian", further stating: "Government acknowledges Mrs. Okoh for her invaluable contributions to our nation building efforts. The instant recognition that our nation receives the world over through the unique flag that she designed for us has cemented her place in history as a colossus of Ghanaian history.... Her talent, zeal and sense of duty to Ghana will continue to offer inspiration for Ghanaians and serve as a reference point in service to the nation."[21]
She was given a state funeral on 28 May, with final rites held in the forecourt of the State House, Accra.[22][23][24]
Theodosia Okoh was awarded theGrand Medal (GM) by the nation, and a number of awards from other institutions in the country. She received a citation from theGhana Broadcasting Corporation and the National Sports Awards in 2004, as well as award from the Sport Writers Association of Ghana and an award from theTV Africa seriesObaa Mbo.[8]
On 13 June 2016, aGoogle Doodle commemorated what would have been her 94th birthday.[25]
