Thomas Mends Kodwo-Mercer (also known as T. M. Kodwo Mercer 1913 – 2003) was a Ghanaian diplomat. He was the first Black African from 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 ...

(currently

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 ...

) to be appointed as a High Commissioner to the UK.

Early life and education

Mercer was born on 17 January 1916. He attended Achimota Training College. He also attended Adisadel College where he later became a tutor from 1938 to 1943. He further studied commerce at Birmingham University in 1948.

Political life

Mercer was a member of the

Convention People's Party The Convention People's Party (CPP) is a Socialism, socialist political party in Ghana based on the ideas of the first President of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah. The CPP was formed in June 1949 after Nkrumah broke away from the United Gold Coast Conven ...

Career

Mercer was the Gold Coast Commissioner to the UK from 1954 to 1956. He was the Chairman of the Cocoa Purchasing Company, Agricultural Produce Marketing Board and the

Cocoa Marketing Board The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) is a Ghanaian government-controlled institution that fixes the buying price for cocoa in Ghana. Farmers are protected from the volatile prices on the world market through the price-fixing. Besides the higher quality ...

Personal life

Mercer was the twin brother of James Mercer and their younger brother was Mr. Krakue Mercer. Ekwow Spio-Gabrah and Andrew Egyapa Mercer were his nephews.

Sally Mugabe Sarah Francesca "Sally" Mugabe (née Hayfron; 6 June 1931 – 27 January 1992) was the first wife of Robert Mugabe (former President of Zimbabwe) and the First Lady of Zimbabwe from 1987 until her death in 1992. She was popularly known as ''Amai ...

was his niece. He was an Anglican.

Death and burial

He died at 86 years and was buried in London.

References

{{Reflist 1913 births 2003 deaths Ghanaian diplomats High Commissioners to the United Kingdom 20th-century Ghanaian politicians Fante people Ghanaian twins Alumni of Achimota School Alumni of Adisadel College Alumni of the University of Birmingham Convention People's Party (Ghana) politicians Ghanaian Anglicans