Matilda Johanna Clerk (2 March 1916 – 27 December 1984) was a
medical pioneer and a
science educator on the
Gold Coast
Gold Coast may refer to:
Places Africa
* Gold Coast (region), in West Africa, which was made up of the following colonies, before being established as the independent nation of Ghana:
** Portuguese Gold Coast (Portuguese, 1482–1642)
** Dutch G ...
and later in Ghana as well as the second
Ghanaian woman to become an
orthodox medicine
Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pract ...
-trained
physician
A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...
.
The first woman in
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
and West Africa to attend graduate school and earn a postgraduate diploma, Clerk was also the first Ghanaian woman in any field to be awarded an academic merit scholarship for university education abroad.
M. J. Clerk was the fourth West African woman to become a physician after
Nigerians
Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was taken from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jour ...
,
Agnes Yewande Savage
Agnes Yewande Savage (21 February 1906 – 1964) was a Nigerian medical doctor and the first West African woman to train and qualify in orthodox medicine. Savage was the first West African woman to receive a university degree in medicine, gradua ...
(1929), the first West African woman medical doctor and
Elizabeth Abimbola Awoliyi
Chief Elizabeth Abimbola Awoliyi, (née Akerele, 1910–14 September 1971) was the first woman to practise as a physician in Nigeria. She was also the first West African woman to earn a license of Royal Surgeon in Dublin. In 1938, Elizabeth Aw ...
(1938) in addition to
Susan de Graft-Johnson, née Ofori-Atta (1947), Ghana's first woman physician.
[
] These pioneering physicians were all early advocates of
maternal health
Maternal health is the health of women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. In most cases, maternal health encompasses the health care dimensions of family planning, preconception, prenatal, and postnatal care in order to ens ...
,
paediatric care and
public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...
in the sub-region.
For a long time after independence in 1957, Clerk and Ofori-Atta were the only two women doctors in Ghana.
By breaking the
glass ceiling
A glass ceiling is a metaphor usually applied to women, used to represent an invisible barrier that prevents a given demographic from rising beyond a certain level in a hierarchy.Federal Glass Ceiling Commission''Solid Investments: Making Full ...
in medicine and other institutional barriers to healthcare delivery, they were an inspiration to a generation of post-colonial Ghanaian and West African female doctors at a time the field was still a male monopoly and when the vast majority of women worldwide had very limited access to
biomedicine
Biomedicine (also referred to as Western medicine, mainstream medicine or conventional medicine) and higher education.
Pundits in the male-dominated medical community in that era described Matilda J. Clerk as "the beacon of emancipation of Ghanaian womanhood."
[
]
Early life and family
Matilda Johanna Clerk was born on 2 March 1916 in
Larteh
Larteh is a language of southeastern Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast i ...
in the
Akuapem Mountains Akuapem may refer to:
* Akuapem people, an ethnic group of Ghana
* Akuapem dialect, their language
* Akuapem Kingdom
Akropong is a town in South Ghana and is the capital of the Akuapim North District, a district in the Eastern Region of South ...
, where her father,
Nicholas Timothy Clerk
Nicholas Timothy Clerk (28 October 1862 – 16 August 1961) was a Protestant theologian, clergyman and pioneering missionary of the Basel Evangelical Missionary Society in southeast colonial Ghana. His father was the Jamaican Moravian missiona ...
(1862–1961) was stationed as a Basel missionary at the time.
Her Basel-trained
theologian
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
father was the first Synod Clerk of the
Presbyterian Church of the Gold Coast from 1918 to 1932.
and a founding father of the all boys’ boarding high school, the
Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School, established in 1938. Her mother,
Anna Alice Meyer (1873–1934) was of
Ga-Danish
Danish may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark
People
* A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark
* Culture of Denmark
* Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...
heritage.
Meyer was the cousin of
Emmanuel Charles Quist
Sir Emmanuel Charles Quist, also known as Paa Quist (21 May 1880, in Christiansborg, Accra – 30 March 1959) was a barrister, educator and judge who served as the first Speaker of the Gold Coast Legislative Assembly and the first Speaker of th ...
(1880–1959), a barrister and judge who became the first African President of the
Legislative Council from 1949 to 1951,
Speaker of the National Assembly of the Gold Coast from 1951 to 1957 and
Speaker of the National Assembly of Ghana from March 1957 to November 1957.
Her paternal grandfather,
Alexander Worthy Clerk
Alexander Worthy Clerk (4 March 1820 – 11 February 1906) was a Jamaican Moravian pioneer missionary, teacher and clergyman who arrived in 1843 in the Danish Protectorate of Christiansborg, now Osu in Accra, Ghana, then known as the Go ...
(1820–1906), a
Jamaican Moravian missionary, arrived in the
Danish Protectorate of Christiansborg (now the suburb of
Osu) in
Accra
Accra (; tw, Nkran; dag, Ankara; gaa, Ga or ''Gaga'') is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , ...
in 1843, as part of the original group of 24
West Indian
A West Indian is a native or inhabitant of the West Indies (the Antilles and the Lucayan Archipelago). For more than 100 years the words ''West Indian'' specifically described natives of the West Indies, but by 1661 Europeans had begun to use it ...
missionaries who worked under the auspices of the
Basel Evangelical Missionary Society
The Basel Mission was a Christian missionary society based in Switzerland. It was active from 1815 to 2001, when it transferred the operative work to , the successor organization of ''Kooperation Evangelischer Kirchen und Missione'' (KEM), foun ...
of
Basel, Switzerland
, french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese
, neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS), ...
.
Alexander W. Clerk was a pioneer of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and a leader in
education
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. Va ...
in colonial Ghana, establishing a boarding middle school, the
Salem School at Osu in 1843. Her paternal grandmother, Pauline Hesse (1831–1909) was from the Gold Coast, and was of
Danish
Danish may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark
People
* A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark
* Culture of Denmark
* Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...
,
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
and
Ga-Dangme ancestry.
[
] Her grandaunt was
Regina Hesse
Regina Hesse (1832–1898), also Rottmann, was a Gold Coast Euro-Africans, Euro-African Teacher, schoolteacher in colonial Ghana. As an educationist, she was one of first women exemplars on the Gold Coast (British colony), Gold Coast to become ...
(1832─1898), a pioneer educator and school principal who worked with the Basel Mission on the Gold Coast.
M. J. Clerk's older brothers were
Carl Henry Clerk
Carl Henry Clerk (4 January 1895 – 28 May 1982) was a Ghanaian agricultural educationist, administrator, journalist, editor and church minister who was elected the fourth Synod Clerk of the Presbyterian Church of the Gold Coast, assuming t ...
(1895–1982) and
Theodore S. Clerk
Theodore Shealtiel Clerk, (4 September 1909 – 1965) was an urban planner on the Gold Coast and the first formally trained, professionally certified Ghanaian architect. Attaining a few historic firsts in his lifetime, Theodore Clerk became th ...
(1909–1965).
She had six other siblings and belonged to the notable historical
Clerk family
The Clerk family () is a Ghanaian historic family that produced a number of pioneering scholars and clergy on the Gold Coast. Predominantly based in the Ghanaian capital, Accra, the Clerks were traditionally Protestant Christian and affiliated ...
of Accra, Ghana.
Carl Clerk was an
agricultural education
Agricultural education is the teaching of agriculture, natural resources, and land management. At higher levels, agricultural education is primarily undertaken to prepare students for employment in the Primary sector of the economy, agricultural ...
ist,
school administrator
A head master, head instructor, bureaucrat, headmistress, head, chancellor, principal or school director (sometimes another title is used) is the staff member of a school with the greatest responsibility for the management of the school. In som ...
, editor, journalist and church minister who served as the fourth Synod Clerk of the Presbyterian Church of the Gold Coast between 1950 and 1954 and Editor of the
Christian Messenger
The ''Christian Messenger'' was a religious magazine established by the early Restoration Movement leader Barton W. Stone in 1826.Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, ''The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church ...
newspaper from 1960 to 1963.
Theodore Clerk was the first Ghanaian architect who planned and developed the
port city of Tema, while her older sister,
Jane E. Clerk (1904–1999), a teacher, was a pioneer
education administrator
Academic administration is a branch of university or college employees responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the institution and separate from the faculty or academics, although some personnel may have joint responsibilities. Some t ...
in colonial Ghana.
Education and training
She had her primary and middle school education at Presbyterian schools at
Adawso
Adawso is a farming community in the Akuapem North Municipal District in the Eastern Region of Ghana. It is located along the Koforidua-Mamfe highway.
Infrastructure
* Adawso Bridge over Afram River
* Adawso Chief Palace
* Adawso Fire Servi ...
and
Aburi
Aburi is a town in the Akuapim South Municipal District of the Eastern Region (Ghana), Eastern Region of south Ghana famous for the Aburi Botanical Gardens and the Odwira festival. respectively.
At the Aburi all girls' middle boarding school Matilda Clerk attended until the end of 1931, the European missionary teachers dubbed her the "
''Dux of the School''."
M. J. Clerk matriculated at
Achimota College
Achimota School ( /ɑːtʃimoʊtɑː/ ), formerly Prince of Wales College and School at Achimota, later Achimota College, now nicknamed Motown, is a co-educational boarding school located at Achimota in Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana. The schoo ...
in 1932.
She received a
Cadbury
Cadbury, formerly Cadbury's and Cadbury Schweppes, is a British multinational confectionery company fully owned by Mondelez International (originally Kraft Foods) since 2010. It is the second largest confectionery brand in the world after Mar ...
scholarship in 1934.
At Achimota, she obtained a Second Division Teachers’ Preliminary Certificate (1935) and
Cambridge Senior School Certificate with exemption from London Matriculation (1937).
Matilda Clerk was elected the
Girls’ School Prefect in her senior year at Achimota.
She was also a trained
pianist
A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...
and
harpist
The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orc ...
; as a student, she excelled in sports.
Among her interests were
embroidery
Embroidery is the craft of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to apply thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. In modern days, embroidery is usually seen on c ...
,
art
Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas.
There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...
(
painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ...
) and
gardening
Gardening is the practice of growing and cultivating plants as part of horticulture. In gardens, ornamental plants are often grown for their flowers, foliage, or overall appearance; useful plants, such as root vegetables, leaf vegetables, fruits ...
.
In 1942, Matilda Clerk became the first Ghanaian woman to complete the intermediate preliminary course in basic medical science, taking advanced courses in
physics
Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...
,
chemistry
Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...
,
botany
Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...
and
zoology
Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the Animal, animal kingdom, including the anatomy, structure, embryology, evolution, Biological clas ...
at Achimota.
The British colonial government at that time effectively allowed only male students to participate in the programme.
[
] Thus, before the school permitted M. J. Clerk to enroll in the course in 1940, her father had to formally petition the then
Governor of the Gold Coast
This is a list of colonial administrators in the Gold Coast (modern Ghana) from the start of English presence in 1621 until Ghana's independence from the United Kingdom in 1957. In addition to the Gold Coast Colony, the governor of the Gold Coast ...
,
Arnold Wienholt Hodson for a special waiver.
She was the only candidate, male or female, to pass the first preliminary medical baccalaureate examinations known as the 1st M.B., London, in 1942.
Based on her superior academic performance, she was awarded a rare medical scholarship by the colonial government to study medicine (
MBChB
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United King ...
) at the
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
from 1944 to 1949.
By winning the award, she became the first Ghanaian woman in the annals of history and in any field to secure a scholarship for higher education abroad.
At Edinburgh, she was active in the Student Christian Movement and the International Club.
The second Ghanaian woman and fifth West African woman (jointly with
Annie Jiagge
Annie Ruth Jiagge, (née Baëta; 7 October 1918 – 12 June 1996), also known as Annie Baëta Jiagge'','' was a Ghanaian lawyer, judge and women's rights activist. She was the first woman in Ghana and the Commonwealth of Nations to become a jud ...
) to receive a university baccalaureate degree, M. J. Clerk was also the first woman in Ghana and West Africa to pursue postgraduate qualifications at a
graduate school
Postgraduate or graduate education refers to Academic degree, academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by higher education, post-secondary students who have earned an Undergraduate education, un ...
when she obtained a
diploma in tropical medicine and hygiene
Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (DTM&H) is a postgraduate award, given after a prescribed period of instruction followed by an examination consisting of three parts; (a) a written examination (b) a practical laboratory examination and (c) ...
(DTM&H) in 1950 from the
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) is a public research university in Bloomsbury, central London, and a member institution of the University of London that specialises in public health and tropical medicine.
The inst ...
, a constituent college of the
University of London
The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...
; she returned to her homeland in January 1951.
Other pioneers in West Africa
In 1933,
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierra ...
an political activist
Edna Elliott-Horton, Edna Elliot-Horton became the second West African woman higher education graduate and the first to complete a bachelor's degree in the liberal arts.
Annie Jiagge
Annie Ruth Jiagge, (née Baëta; 7 October 1918 – 12 June 1996), also known as Annie Baëta Jiagge'','' was a Ghanaian lawyer, judge and women's rights activist. She was the first woman in Ghana and the Commonwealth of Nations to become a jud ...
, also an alumna of Achimota School and the first Ghanaian
woman judge, completed her
law degree
A law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers. But while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not confer a license themselves. A legal license is gra ...
at the
London School of Economics
, mottoeng = To understand the causes of things
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £240.8 million (2021)
, budget = £391.1 millio ...
in 1949.
[
] Many leading lights in the Gold Coast medical profession during that period, including her fellow pioneering colleagues,
Charles Odamtten Easmon
Charles Odamtten Easmon or C. O. Easmon, popularly known as Charlie Easmon, (22 September 1913 – 19 May 1994) was a medical doctor and academic who became the first Ghanaian to formally qualify as a surgeon specialist and the first Dean of t ...
,
Emmanuel Evans-Anfom
Emmanuel Evans-Anfom FRCSEd FICS FAAS FWACS (7 October 1919 – 7 April 2021) was a Ghanaian physician, scholar, university administrator, and public servant who served as the second Vice Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science ...
and
Susan Ofori-Atta
Susan Barbara Gyankorama Ofori-Atta also de Graft-Johnson, (1917 – July 1985) was a Ghanaian medical doctor – the first female doctor on the Gold Coast. She was the first Ghanaian woman and fourth West African woman to earn a university degr ...
, also attended Achimota School and the
University of Edinburgh Medical School
The University of Edinburgh Medical School (also known as Edinburgh Medical School) is the medical school of the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and the United Kingdom and part of the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine. It was esta ...
.
[
]
Career
Science teacher
In between her teacher training/secondary education and preliminary medical course at Achimota, she was a science teacher at the
Wesley Girls' High School
Wesley Girls' High School (WGHS) is an educational institution for girls in Cape Coast in the Central region of Ghana. It was founded in 1836 by Harriet Wrigley, the wife of a Methodist minister. The school is named after the founder of Methodis ...
from 1938 to 1940.
She later taught
biology
Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...
for two years at her alma mater, Achimota School, from 1942 to 1944.
Medical doctor
Shunning a more lucrative
private medical practice, she spent her entire career working in the public sector in the fields of
primary care
Primary care is the day-to-day healthcare given by a health care provider. Typically this provider acts as the first contact and principal point of continuing care for patients within a healthcare system, and coordinates other specialist care t ...
and public health. She was a
medical officer
A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the ...
and
superintendent
Superintendent may refer to:
*Superintendent (police), Superintendent of Police (SP), or Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), a police rank
*Prison warden or Superintendent, a prison administrator
*Superintendent (ecclesiastical), a church exec ...
in the Gold Coast Civil Service.
Hospitals she worked at include the Maternity Unit of
Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital
Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) is a public teaching hospital located in the Ablekuma South Metropolitan District in Accra, Ghana. It is the only public tertiary hospital in the southern part of the country. It is a teaching hospital affiliate ...
(1951–53),
Kumasi Central Hospital (1954–57),
Effia-Nkwanta Hospital, Sekondi (1957–62) and
Tema General Hospital (1962–68).
She was promoted to the rank of principal medical officer in 1969 and served for a time at the Princess Marie Louise Hospital for Women, now the Accra Children's Hospital with Susan Ofori-Atta.
She also worked at the Health Education Division of the School of Hygiene in Accra from 1969 to 1971. She was the Senior Medical Officer at the Communicable Diseases, Maternal and Child Health Units of the Regional Medical Officer of Health's Office under the
Ministry of Health in Accra from 1971 to 1973.
She often acted as the Regional Medical Officer.
Death and funeral
Matilda Clerk died suddenly, aged 68, on 27 December 1984 at her home in Osu, Accra.
Her funeral service was held at the
Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, Osu
The Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, formerly known as the Basel Mission Church, Christiansborg, is a historic Protestant church located in the suburb of Osu in Accra, Ghana. The church was founded by the Basel Evangelical Missionary Society in 184 ...
; her remains were buried in the church's graveyard, the
Basel Mission Cemetery, also in Osu, Accra.
The Ghanaian physician, scholar, university administrator and public servant
Emmanuel Evans-Anfom
Emmanuel Evans-Anfom FRCSEd FICS FAAS FWACS (7 October 1919 – 7 April 2021) was a Ghanaian physician, scholar, university administrator, and public servant who served as the second Vice Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science ...
delivered the
eulogy
A eulogy (from , ''eulogia'', Classical Greek, ''eu'' for "well" or "true", ''logia'' for "words" or "text", together for "praise") is a speech or writing in praise of a person or persons, especially one who recently died or retired, or as a ...
at her funeral.
See also
*
Timeline of women in science
This is a timeline of women in science, spanning from ancient history up to the 21st century. While the timeline primarily focuses on women involved with natural sciences such as astronomy, biology, chemistry and physics, it also includes women f ...
*
Women in medicine
The presence of women in medicine, particularly in the practicing fields of surgery and as physicians, has been traced to the earliest of history. Women have historically had lower participation levels in medical fields compared to men with occu ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clerk, Matilda J.
1916 births
1984 deaths
Alumni of Achimota School
Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
Alumni of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Clerk family of Ghana
Ghanaian educators
Ghanaian public health doctors
Ga-Adangbe people
Ghanaian people of Danish descent
Ghanaian people of German descent
Ghanaian people of Jamaican descent
Ghanaian Presbyterians
Ghanaian Protestants
People from Accra
Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Medical School
Women educators
Women public health doctors