Rev. Alexander Garden Fraser, MA, CBE
    First Principal (1924 - 1935)
    (b. 1873 - d. 1962)  


    Reverend Alexander Garden Fraser, MA, CBE, is one of the founders of
    Achimota School and the first Principal of the School (1924 - 1935). The
    other founders are Sir Frederick Gordon Guggisberg, former governor of
    the Gold Coast (1919-1927), and Dr. James Emman Kwegyir Aggrey, the
    first Assistant Vice Principal (1924-1927).


Trinity College, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka)

Rev. Fraser was born in Scotland, UK, in 1873. He was ordained and eventually became a renowned
educationist and missionary. Prior to joining Achimota School, he was the Principal of the Trinity
College, Ceylon, for the 20-year period from 1904 to 1924. Rev. Fraser is described as the greatest
principal of Trinity College. To quote, “Rev. A.G. Fraser brought the school from a mere provincial
school to a national college. In his day (1904-1924), Trinity College became a multi-faceted
educational institution, equal to that of any leading school in the British Commonwealth. In the days of
Fraser, 17 different nationalities made use of the all-round education Trinity provided.

    He was an inspiring personality and yet truly self-sacrificing. All his best
    years were given to Trinity and all his efforts bore fruit. He had the power
    of persuasion, which he used to inspire brilliant men from Oxford and
    Cambridge to serve as Anglican missionaries at Trinity College. The
    decisions of Mr. Fraser were daring but far sighted. It was he who
    introduced the mother tongue and broke away from conventional subjects
    mostly imported from England. He introduced a diversified system of
    education with a strong bias towards national needs. Agriculture was
    introduced when it was not the practice in any other local school.” Rev.
    Fraser and the then vice principal of Trinity College are credited for the
    College Chapel’s open design. The design is similar to Achimota’s Aggrey
    Memorial Chapel that is also an open chapel.

Achimota College & School In 1924, the Gold Coast colonial government approved the funding for the
proposed Prince of Wales College and School, now known as “Achimota School”, as part of Governor
Guggisberg’s education reform program for the Gold Coast. Rev. Fraser left his position as Principal of
the Trinity College, Ceylon, and accepted the position as Achimota School’s first Principal. He and Dr.
James E. Kwegyir Aggrey, the School’s first Vice Principal, supervised the construction and equipping of
Achimota School. Rev. Fraser and the other founders made personal sacrifices to realize their dream of
the first co-educational institution in the Gold Coast.

They battled racism and harsh, and often unfounded, criticism. To prepare Achimota School for its
opening, Rev. Fraser and Dr. Aggrey hammered nails when they required hammering; they scrubbed
floors and washed windows.* Classes commenced at Achimota School on February 27, 1926, then
known as the “Prince of Wales College and School” and it was formally opened by the Governor, Sir
Guggisberg, on January 28, 1927. Rev. Fraser’s legacy lives on through the Old Achimotan Association
(“OAA”) that he founded.

“Ideals Upon Which Achimota Was Founded“

At Achimota School, Rev. Fraser and his staff, including Dr. Aggrey, shared the belief that Africans
should not be turned into pseudo-Europeans but taught to retain the highest values of their own culture.
This is reflected in the “Ideals Upon Which Achimota Was Founded”. Rev. Fraser composed the School
Hymn that also embodies Achimota ideals. Achimota stands for:
  • The best use of the minds and bodies which God has given us.
  • An equal opportunity for boys and girls.
  • Respect for all that is true and of lasting value in the old African culture, beliefs and way of life
  • Willing, humble service of the educated for the uneducated.
  • Mutual understanding and cooperation between Christians of all denominations, and the growthof
    that spirit in which the churches shall one day be united again.
  • Friendship, respect, and cooperation among all races on equal terms.
  • The belief, on which all else rests, in Jesus Christ as the revelation for all times and all peoples of
    the love of God, and as the guide and pattern of our lives

The Fraser Family and Legacy

“Fraser House”, a residence hall was named in Rev. Fraser’s honor. In addition, “Fraser Building” at
Trinity College, Kandy, Sri Lanka is named after him. His sons Alistair Garden Fraser (Sandy) and
Andrew Fraser (his younger brother) both taught at Achimota for many years. Rev. Fraser is survived
by his grandson, Prof. Ian Fraser, a retired Art Professor, and other grandchildren. Prof. Fraser and
other family members now live in the USA.

Acknowledgement: Our sincere thanks to Professor Ian Fraser, son of SandyFraser and grandson of
Rev. Fraser, who provided several photos including the photos of Achimota’s opening ceremony in
1927.   

Permission granted by Dr. Donald Brody: GREAT EPICS NEWSLETTER © Great Epic Books.

Sources:
  1. Dr. Donald Brody
  2. Cambridge University Library: Royal Commonwealth Society Library, J.E.K. Aggrey and A.G.
    Fraser, Y30448S
  3. Ward, William Ernest Frank (1965), ‘Fraser of Trinity and Achimota’, [Accra]: Ghana      
    Universities Press