Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti (30 April 1891 – 6 April 1955) was a Nigerian

clergyman Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

and

educationist Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Var ...

Life

Israel was born on 30 April 1891 in

Abeokuta Abeokuta is the capital city of Ogun State in southwest Nigeria. It is situated on the east bank of the Ogun River, near a group of rocky outcrops in a wooded savanna; north of Lagos by railway, or by water. , Abeokuta and the surrounding are ...

Ogun State Ogun State is a state in southwestern Nigeria. Created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State. Ogun State borders Lagos State to the south, Oyo State and Osun State to the north, Ondo State to the east, and the Republic of Benin to the ...

Josiah Ransome-Kuti Josiah Jesse "J.J." Ransome-Kuti (1 June 1855 – 4 September 1930) was a Nigerian clergyman and music composer. He was known for setting Christian hymns to indigenous music, and for writing Christian hymns in Yoruba. Early life and career Jos ...

and Bertha Anny Olubi. He completed his primary and secondary school education at Lagos Grammar School and Abeokuta Grammar School respectively before proceeding to

Fourah Bay College Fourah Bay College is a public university in the neighbourhood of Mount Aureol in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Founded on 18 February 1827, it is the first western-style university built in Sub-Saharan Africa and, furthermore, the first university-le ...

Freetown Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leone's major urban, economic, financial, cultural, educational and p ...

where he completed his undergraduate studies. Upon his graduation from Fourah Bay College, Israel returned to Nigeria in 1916 to begin his career first as a class teacher at Abeokuta Grammar School until 1918 when he left his hometown. He was appointed as the principal of

Ijebu Ode Grammar School Ijebu Ode Grammar School (JOGS) is a boys-only secondary school located in Ijebu Ode local government area of Ogun State, South-Western Nigeria. Founded on 20 January 1913, the school is one of the oldest schools in Nigeria. Houses *Gansallo House ...

for thirteen years and went on to found the Association of Headmasters of Ijebu Schools in 1926. In 1931, Israel was appointed as the pioneering President of the then newly formed Nigeria Union of Teachers, a position he held until his retirement in 1954. Kuti Hall, one of the halls of residence at the

University of Ibadan The University of Ibadan (UI) is a public research university in Ibadan, Nigeria. The university was founded in 1948 as University College Ibadan, one of many colleges within the University of London. It became an independent university in 196 ...

which opened in 1954, is named after Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti.

Death

On 6 April 1955, Israel died of a cancer-related illness at his residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State.Times Newspapers Ltd; Obituaries from the Times (Volume 1, 1961-1970; Vol.2, 1971- 1975)

Bibliography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ransome-Kuti, Israel Oludotun 1891 births 1955 deaths Ijebu Ode Grammar School faculty Ransome-Kuti family Fourah Bay College alumni People from Abeokuta Nigerian educational theorists 20th-century Nigerian people CMS Grammar School, Lagos alumni Yoruba educators Deaths from cancer in Nigeria Nigerian Christian clergy Yoruba Christian clergy 19th-century Nigerian people People of colonial Nigeria 20th-century Nigerian educators Heads of schools in Nigeria