Theodosia Salome Okoh (born 13 June 1922 – 19 April 2015)
was a
Ghana
Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...
ian teacher and artist known for designing
Ghana's national flag in 1957.
She exhibited her artwork internationally. She also played a leading role in the development of hockey in Ghana. Her grandson is
Ian Jones-Quartey, creator of ''
OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes'', and her granddaughter-in-law is
Rebecca Sugar, creator of ''
Steven Universe
''Steven Universe'' is an American animated television series created by Rebecca Sugar for Cartoon Network. It tells the coming-of-age story of a young boy, Steven Universe (character), Steven Universe (Zach Callison), who lives with the Crys ...
''.
Early years and education
She was born on 13 June 1922
as Theodosia Salome Abena Kumea Asihene in
Effiduase["Mrs Theodosia Salome Okoh"]
The Loom Gallery. to the Very Reverend Emmanuel Victor Asihene, a former moderator of the
Presbyterian Church of Ghana
The Presbyterian Church of Ghana is a Protestant denomination in Ghana. The denomination is considered mainstream Reformed Protestant, missions-focused and ecumenically-minded in theology, practices and traditions.The oldest, continuously exis ...
, and Madam Dora Asihene, both from
Anum
Anum is an Guan community in Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region of Ghana, across from the Volta Lake. Asikuma is a town under the paramountcy of Anum the town is popularly known for the West African Fish ltd. Which is all about high qu ...
in the
Asuogyaman District of Ghana's
Eastern Region.
[, Ghanagist, 20 April 2015.] She was the fourth of eight children. She had the opportunity to travel around Ghana and abroad with her father.
She started school at Ashanti Efiduasi Primary School, continued to the Basel Mission Middle, Senior and Teacher Training Schools in
Agogo and then
Achimota School
Achimota School (Help:IPA/English, /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 Reg ...
, where she received three years training in Fine Art.
Career
When Ghana gained Independence from the
Britain
Britain most often refers to:
* Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales
* The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...
there was the need for a new flag, which was advertised. She submitted her design, which was adopted as the national
flag of Ghana
The national flag of Ghana consists of a horizontal triband of red, yellow, and green. It replaced the British Gold Coast's Blue Ensign.
The flag, which was adopted upon the independence of the Dominion of Ghana on 6 March 1957, was designe ...
by the country's first president
Kwame Nkrumah
Francis Kwame Nkrumah (, 21 September 1909 – 27 April 1972) was a Ghanaian politician, political theorist, and revolutionary. He served as Prime Minister of the Gold Coast (British colony), Gold Coast from 1952 until 1957, when it gained ...
from 6 March 1957. As she explained in an interview: "I decided on the three colors of red, gold and green because of the geography of Ghana. Ghana lies in the tropics and blessed with rich vegetation. The color Gold was influenced by the mineral rich nature of our lands and Red commemorates those who died or worked for the country’s independence. The five-pointed lone star is symbolic of African emancipation and unity in the struggle against colonialism…."

Theodosia Okoh was the first female chairman of the Ghana Hockey Association and later President of the Ghana Hockey Federation for more than 20 years,
and it was during her tenure that Ghana first qualified for both the Hockey World Cup and the Olympic Games.
She was named "the Joan of Arc of Ghana hockey" by
Ohene Djan "because she rose to the occasion to save Ghana hockey when men were faltering and vacillating about development of the game. This is also the reason why the
National Hockey Stadium
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, ce ...
was named after her in 2004". She was a long-time patron of the
Sport Writers Association of Ghana.
Personal life
She was married to Enoch Kwabena Okoh, Head of Civil Service in the
Kwame Nkrumah
Francis Kwame Nkrumah (, 21 September 1909 – 27 April 1972) was a Ghanaian politician, political theorist, and revolutionary. He served as Prime Minister of the Gold Coast (British colony), Gold Coast from 1952 until 1957, when it gained ...
regime in the 1960s,
and had three children: E. Kwasi Okoh, Stanley Kwame Okoh and Theodosia Amma Jones-Quartey.
Death
She died on 19 April 2015 at the
Narh-Bita Hospital in
Tema
Tema is a city on the Bight of Benin and Atlantic coast of Ghana. It is located east of the capital city; Accra, in the region of Greater Accra, and is the capital of the Tema Metropolitan District. As of 2013, Tema is the eleventh most p ...
after a short illness, aged 92. President
John Dramani Mahama
John Dramani Mahama (; born 29 November 1958) is a Ghanaian politician who has been the 14th president of Ghana since January 2025. A member of the National Democratic Congress (Ghana), National Democratic Congress (NDC), he served as the 12th p ...
directed that all flags should fly at half-mast for three days, starting from Tuesday, 21 April, in her honour.
A statement signed by Minister of Communications
Edward Omane Boamah said that the directive was "in honour of this extraordinary Ghanaian", further stating: "Government acknowledges Mrs. Okoh for her invaluable contributions to our nation building efforts. The instant recognition that our nation receives the world over through the unique flag that she designed for us has cemented her place in history as a colossus of Ghanaian history.... Her talent, zeal and sense of duty to Ghana will continue to offer inspiration for Ghanaians and serve as a reference point in service to the nation."
She was given a state funeral on 28 May, with final rites held in the forecourt of the State House, Accra.
Awards and honours
Theodosia Okoh was awarded the
Grand Medal (GM) by the nation, and a number of awards from other institutions in the country. She received a citation from the
Ghana Broadcasting Corporation
The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) was established by law in 1968 with a triple mandate as a State Broadcaster, Public Service Broadcaster, and a Commercial Broadcaster in Ghana. Headquartered in the capital city, Accra, GBC is funded by g ...
and the National Sports Awards in 2004, as well as award from the Sport Writers Association of Ghana and an award from the
TV Africa series ''Obaa Mbo''.
On 13 June 2016, a
Google Doodle
Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google's homepages intended to commemorate holidays, events, achievements, and historical figures. The first Google Doodle honored the 1998 edition of the long-running annual Bu ...
commemorated what would have been her 94th birthday.
Legacy
* The Accra hockey pitch is named after her in recognition of her contribution to the game,
and in 2013 a resolution was overturned to rename the
Theodosia Okoh Hockey Stadium.
She had lamented the change from her name (to "John Evans Atta Mills National Hockey Stadium") while she was still alive, but was satisfied that President John Mahama acted speedily to reverse it.
* The Asuogyaman District Assembly in the Eastern Region has erected a bust in her honour at Anum, her hometown.
* Okoh's grandson, animator/director
Ian Jones-Quartey, based the character Nanefua Pizza in the
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network (CN) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the Cartoon Network, Inc., a sub-division of the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. It launched on ...
animated show ''
Steven Universe
''Steven Universe'' is an American animated television series created by Rebecca Sugar for Cartoon Network. It tells the coming-of-age story of a young boy, Steven Universe (character), Steven Universe (Zach Callison), who lives with the Crys ...
'' on her.
References
External links
Theodosia Salome Okohon GhanaWeb.
"Theodosia Okoh Is Dead" Peace FM, 20 April 2015. Includes flashback audio interview by Kwami Sefa Kayi (archived).
"Mrs Theodosia Okoh: The Woman Who Designed The Ghanaian Flag" African Celebs (including video interviews).
"Theodosia Okoh: Designer of Ghana’s flag" ''Witness History'',
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
, 11 October 2023.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Okoh, Theodosia
1922 births
2015 deaths
20th-century women artists
Flag designers
Ghanaian women artists
People from Ashanti Region
20th-century Ghanaian educators
Alumni of Achimota School