Sir Emmanuel Charles Quist, also known as Paa Quist (21 May 1880, in

Christiansborg Christiansborg Palace (, ) is a palace and government building on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the seat of the Danish Parliament (), the Danish Prime Minister's Office, and the Supreme Court of Denmark. Also, ...

Accra Accra (; or ''Gaga''; ; Ewe: Gɛ; ) 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, , had a population of ...

– 30 March 1959) was a

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include arguing cases in courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, jurisprud ...

educator A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...

and

judge A judge is a person who wiktionary:preside, presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a judicial panel. In an adversarial system, the judge hears all the witnesses and any other Evidence (law), evidence presented by the barris ...

who served as the first Speaker of the Gold Coast Legislative Assembly and the first

Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana The Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana is the presiding officer of the Parliament of Ghana. The current speaker, Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, was sworn-in for a second term as Speaker of the Ninth Parliament of Ghana after his reelection on ...

Biography

Early life and ancestry

Emmanuel Charles Quist was born in 1880 in Christiansborg, Accra. He was the son of the Rev. Carl Quist (1843 – 99), a

Basel Mission The Basel Mission is a Christianity, 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'' ...

minister from

Osu, Accra Osu is a neighbourhood in central Accra, Accra, Ghana, West Africa. It is located about east of the central business district, and is locally known as the "West End" of Accra. Bounded to the south by the Gulf of Guinea, Osu's western boundary is ...

. His Ga- Danish mother, Paulina Richter, descended from the Royal House of Anomabo. Richter's ancestor was Heinrich Richter (1785–1849), a prominent Euro-African from Osu. Richter's descendants also included Philip Christian Richter (b. 1903), an academic and Presbyterian minister and Ernest Richter (b. 1922), a diplomat. Carl Quist was also of Ga-Danish ancestry and a son of one of the three ''Kvist'' brothers (anglicised to Quist) who came to the Gold Coast via

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...

in 1840. The brothers, all ethnic Danes, settled separately in

Cape Coast Cape Coast is a city and the capital of the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly, Cape Coast Metropolitan District and the Central Region (Ghana), Central Region of Ghana, Ghana. It is located about from Sekondi-Takoradi and approximately from Ac ...

and

Keta Keta is a coastal town and the capital of the Keta Municipal District in the Volta Region of Ghana. Keta was an important trading post between the 14th and the late 20th centuries. The town attracted the interest of the Danish, because they fe ...

. E. C. Quist was also related to the historically notable

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, through his cousin, Anna Alice Meyer (1873 – 1934) whose husband was the

theologian Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of ...

and Basel missionary, Nicholas Timothy Clerk (1862 – 1961).

Education and career

From 1889 to 1896, E. C. Quist had his primary and middle school education at the Basel Mission Grammar School and the boys' boarding school, the Salem School respectively. He then attended the Basel Mission Seminary, a

theological seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and Christian theology, theology, generally to prepare them for ordinatio ...

and teacher- training college at

Akropong Akropong is a town in South Ghana and is the capital of the Akuapim North District, a district in the Eastern Region of South Ghana. This town is known for producing snails and palm oil.

, Akwapim District where he received training in

pedagogy Pedagogy (), most commonly understood as the approach to teaching, is the theory and practice of learning, and how this process influences, and is influenced by, the social, political, and psychological development of learners. Pedagogy, taken ...

and

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

and graduated as a

teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...

catechist Catechesis (; from Greek language, Greek: , "instruction by word of mouth", generally "instruction") is basic Christian religious education of children and adults, often from a catechism book. It started as education of Conversion to Christia ...

. He served as the

headmaster A headmaster/headmistress, head teacher, head, school administrator, 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. Role While s ...

of his

alma mater Alma mater (; : almae matres) is an allegorical Latin phrase meaning "nourishing mother". It personifies a school that a person has attended or graduated from. The term is related to ''alumnus'', literally meaning 'nursling', which describes a sc ...

, the Salem School, Osu from 1899 to 1902. Quist resigned from the teaching profession to pursue a career in commerce. Briefly entering business with the Basel Mission Trading Company, he entered the

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court entitled to Call to the bar, call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple (with whi ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

in 1910 and was called to the Bar on 10 April 1913, along with Sir James Henley Coussey who later chaired the Constitutional Committee set up in December 1949 to draw up a new Constitution for the Gold Coast. On his return from

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, Quist enrolled as a

in private practice at the Gold Coast Bar, establishing his chambers in

. Quist became the first African Crown Counsel in the Gold Coast Civil Service, equivalent to the position of a State Attorney. He resigned from his position as a Crown Counsel within a year to focus on his work as a defence lawyer. He was a member of the Accra Town Council from 1919 to 1929. He was an extraordinary member of the

Legislative Council A legislative council is the legislature, or one of the legislative chambers, of a nation, colony, or subnational division such as a province or state. It was commonly used to label unicameral or upper house legislative bodies in the Brit ...

in 1925, serving as a legal advisor to the Eastern Provincial Council of Chiefs. He was elected a member of the

, representing the Eastern Province, from 1934 to 1948. He was appointed a member of the

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 school ...

Council. A

puisne judge Puisne judge and puisne justice () are terms for an ordinary judge or a judge of lesser rank of a particular court. The term comes from a combination of the two French words, (since, later) and (born) which have been combined as or ; meaning ...

at the

judicature from 1948 to 1949, E. C. Quist was the first African President of the

from May 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 until his retirement on 14 November 1957. During this period, his colleagues in parliament re-elected him as Speaker during the general elections of 1954 and 1956. The elevation of Quist in 1949 happened after the last Governor of the Gold Coast, Sir

Charles Arden-Clarke Sir Charles Noble Arden-Clarke (25 July 1898 – 16 December 1962) was a British colonial administrator. Biography Arden-Clarke was educated at Rossall School. He was the Resident Commissioner of the Bechuanaland Protectorate (later Botswan ...

relinquished his concurrent post as the President of the Legislative Council. Quist visited the

British House of Commons The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 memb ...

in 1950. On 26 October 1950, he partook in the Speaker's Procession at the

Palace of Westminster The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is located in London, England. It is commonly called the Houses of Parliament after the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two legislative ch ...

, as the official guest of the then Speaker,

Douglas Clifton Brown, 1st Viscount Ruffside Douglas Clifton Brown, 1st Viscount Ruffside, (16 August 1879 – 5 May 1958) was a British politician who represented the Conservative Party (UK). He served as Speaker of the House of Commons from 1943 to 1951. Upon stepping down as Speaker he ...

, during the opening of a new session that year. In 1957, he presided over the special state opening of Parliament on Ghana's Independence Day, 6 March, which was witnessed by several visiting international dignitaries including

Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent (born Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, ; 27 August 1968) was a Greek and Danish princess by birth and a British princess by marriage. She was a daughter of Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark and Gran ...

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

's special representative for the occasion as well as the then US Vice President

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...

and the American civil rights activist,

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil and political rights, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights move ...

Personal life

On 27 June 1929, Quist married Dinah Nita Bruce of Christiansborg, Accra. Dinah Bruce was from the prominent

Bruce family Clan Bruce () is a Scottish Lowlands, Lowlands Scottish clan. It was a royal house in the 14th century, producing two kings of Scotland (Robert the Bruce and David II of Scotland, David II), and a disputed High King of Ireland, Edward Bruce. Or ...

of Accra whose members included Gold Coast

physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...

and

journalist A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism. Roles Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...

Frederick Nanka-Bruce Frederick Victor Nanka-Bruce (9 October 1878 – 13 July 1953) was a physician, journalist and politician in the Gold Coast. He was the third African to practise orthodox medicine in the colony, after Benjamin Quartey-Papafio and Ernest James ...

as well as

Ghanaian The Ghanaian people are a nation originating in the Gold Coast (region), Ghanaian Gold Coast. Ghanaians predominantly inhabit the Republic of Ghana and are the predominant cultural group and residents of Ghana, numbering 34 million people as of ...

musician A musician is someone who Composer, composes, Conducting, conducts, or Performing arts#Performers, performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general Terminology, term used to designate a person who fol ...

, King Bruce. Quist had two daughters Paulina Quist (Mrs.

Clerk A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts record keeping as well as general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include Records managem ...

) and Dinah Quist (Mrs. Annang). Emmanuel Quist was a patron of a number of social clubs: the Accra Turf Club, the Rodger Club and the Boy Scouts Movement. Quist was also a member of the District Grand Lodge of Ghana.

Death and state funeral

Upon Quist's death in 1959, the

Ghanaian government The Government of Ghana was created as a parliamentary democracy, followed by alternating military and civilian governments in Ghana. In January 1993, military government gave way to the Fourth Republic after presidential and parliamentary elect ...

accorded him a

state funeral A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of protocol, held to honour people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive elements o ...

with full military honours. After the ceremony 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 18 ...

, his body was interred at the Osu Cemetery in

Honours and legacy

Quist was created

O.B.E. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

in 1942, "''for public services in the Gold Coast''," and

Knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

in 1952."The Speakers' Conference Hall" at the Parliament House has been named after Sir Emmanuel Charles Quist. A commemorative plaque, sponsored by his wife, Lady Dinah Quist, was erected in his memory in the sanctuary of the

where he was a congregant. The ''"Sir Emmanuel Charles Quist Street"'' in Accra was named in his honour.

References

External links

Council Chamber, with Quist seated in the Speaker's chair in the centreParliament of Ghana LeadershipLady Dinah Quist
{{DEFAULTSORT:Quist, Emmanuel Charles 1880 births 1959 deaths Ga-Adangbe people Ghanaian Freemasons 20th-century Ghanaian judges Ghanaian people of Danish descent Ghanaian Presbyterians Gold Coast (British colony) judges Heads of schools in Ghana Members of the Middle Temple Officers of the Order of the British Empire Knights Bachelor Lawyers from Accra Speakers of the Parliament of Ghana Presbyterian College of Education, Akropong alumni Osu Salem School alumni Teachers at Osu Salem School