Collection context
Summary
- Creator:
- Missionary Research Library (New York, N.Y.)
- Abstract:
- James Emman Kwegyir Aggrey, 1875-1927, was a distinguished scholar and educator from the Gold Coast, West Africa. The collection contains materials gathered by the Missionary Research Library documenting the life and work of Dr. Aggrey, including letters, newspaper clippings, a biographical sketch, and a bibliography.
- Extent:
- 0.25 linear feet and 0.25 linear feet; 1 box
- Language:
- English .
- Preferred citation:
Item description, MRL1: James Emman Kwegyir Aggrey papers, 1920-1927, box #, folder #, The Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary, Columbia University in the City of New York.
Background
- Scope and Content:
This collection contains materials gathered by the Missionary Research Library documenting the life and work of Dr. Aggrey, including a biographical sketch, letters about and personal recollections of Aggrey, a newspaper obituary, and a bibliography of articles on Aggrey. All materials are carbon copy.
- Biographical / Historical:
James Emman Kwegyir Aggrey was born October 18, 1875 in Anamabu, part of the Gold Coast Colony of West Africa. When Aggrey was eight, he entered the Wesleyan Methodist School at Cape Coast and was mentored by missionary Reverend Dennis Kemp. Aggrey began teaching at age fifteen and taught thirty to forty boys at Abura Dunkwa. A year later, he was teaching at the Wesleyan Centenary Memorial School, where he would become headmaster.
In 1898, Aggrey travelled to the United States for his own education. In Salisbury, North Carolina he received bachelors and masters degrees from Livingstone College and a Doctor of Divinity degree from Hood Theological Seminary. While teaching at Livingstone after graduation, Aggrey took classes at Columbia University where he was also a member of the Phelps-Stokes Commission working to determine the educational needs of Africa. According to Thomas Jesse Jones, Chairman of the Commission in 1920, Aggrey was chosen because of "his African origin, his marked ability as an observer, his broad training in sociology and education, and his constructive attitude towards the perplexing problem of race relations."
Aggrey was made vice-principal of the Prince of Wales College in Achimota, Africa in 1924 after completing examinations at Columbia University for the Doctor of Philosophy degree. In 1927, Aggrey died suddenly from pneumococcus meningitis in the United States.
- Acquisition information:
- Formerly part of the independent Missionary Research Library (MRL), these records were accessioned by the Burke Library at the time of the MRL's closure in 1976.
- Processing information:
Material cataloged by Lynn A. Grove on 1988-07-18. Metal clips and staples were removed from materials. Materials were placed in new acid-free folders. Acidic newspaper clippings were photocopied onto acid-free paper. The finding aid was created by Brigette C. Kamsler in 2011 with the support of the Henry Luce Foundation, and edited by Leah Edelman in 2021.
- Arrangement:
This collection is organized in one unarranged series.
- Rules or conventions:
- appm
Indexed Terms
- Subjects:
- Educators -- Africa, West
- Names:
- Aggrey, James Emman Kwegyir, 1875-1927
- Places:
- Africa, West -- Religious life and customs
Access
- RESTRICTIONS:
-
This collection is open for research.
Onsite storage.
- TERMS OF ACCESS:
-
Some material in this collection may be protected by copyright and other rights. Information concerning copyright, fair use, and reproduction requests can be consulted at Columbia's Copyright Advisory Office.
- PREFERRED CITATION:
-
Item description, MRL1: James Emman Kwegyir Aggrey papers, 1920-1927, box #, folder #, The Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary, Columbia University in the City of New York.
- LOCATION OF THIS COLLECTION:
- CONTACT:
-
(212) 851-5606burke@library.columbia.edu