Jonathan Olumide Lucas (born 1897) was a Nigerian clergyman, educator and historian who is known for his work on the history of

Yoruba The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...

traditional religion. As an author, he was among a group of West African historians who proposed a

Hamitic Hamites is the name formerly used for some Northern and Horn of Africa peoples in the context of a now-outdated model of dividing humanity into different races which was developed originally by Europeans in support of colonialism and slavery. ...

origin of the people or of the cultural features of their ethnic group. Lucas work on Yoruba

culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.Tyl ...

and language links some meaning and choice of words spoken by Yorubas with ancient Egypt. Lucas was educated at

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 ...

Durham University , mottoeng = Her foundations are upon the holy hills (Psalm 87:1) , established = (university status) , type = Public , academic_staff = 1,830 (2020) , administrative_staff = 2,640 (2018/19) , chancellor = Sir Thomas Allen , vice_chan ...

and as an external student 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 ...

. Between 1932 and 1935, he was acting principal of CMS Grammar School, succeeding a trio of expatriate administrators. Lucas was a leading member of Lagos Union of Teachers which later merged with another association of teachers and headmasters to form the Nigerian Union of Teachers. In 1944, he became the first vice president of the

National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons The National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) later changed to the National Convention of Nigerian Citizens, was a Nigerian nationalist political party from 1944 to 1966, during the period leading up to independence and immediately ...

. He was father to Nigerian physician

Adetokunbo Lucas Adetokunbo Oluwole Lucas (was born in 1931 and died on 25 December 2020) was a Nigerian doctor who was considered a global leader in tropical diseases. Born in Lagos, he was educated in the United Kingdom and commenced his professional career ...

Works

* Lucas, Jonathan Olumide. An oration on the history of the Anglican Church in Lagos, 1852 to 1952. Delivered by J. Olumide Lucas at the Glover Memorial Hall, Lagos, on Monday, 14 January 1952. Lagos, Printed by Tika-Tore Press, 1952 * Lucas, Jonathan Olumide. The religion of the Yorubas, being an account of the religious beliefs and practices of the Yoruba peoples of southern Nigeria, especially in relation to the religion of ancient Egypt. Lagos igeriaC. M. S. Bookshop, 1948. * Lucas, Jonathan Olumide. Yoruba language : its structure and relationship to other languages / by J. Olumide Lucas. 1964. Lagos. Ore Ki Gbe Press.

References

20th-century Nigerian historians 20th-century Nigerian clergy Year of death missing 1897 births 20th-century Nigerian educators People of colonial Nigeria Fourah Bay College alumni Alumni of University of London Worldwide Educators from Lagos Nigerian schoolteachers Historians of Yoruba {{Nigeria-hist-stub