Founder of the first State School for the Deaf -Dr. Lawrence Seth Tetteh-Ocloo honored on his 90th birthday

After suffering from what was later discovered to be spinal meningitis in the very early stages of his life, the Founder of the now "Tetteh-Ocloo State School for the Deaf", Dr. Lawrence Seth Tetteh-Ocloo has marked his 90th birthday in a grand style.

Held at the school’s premises at Adjei Kojo within the Tema West Municipality of the Greater Accra Region, on Friday, July 22, 2022, Dr. Seth Lawrence Tetteh-Ocloo chronicled his life's journey detailing his deep love for the death community. 

The Man Seth Lawrence Tetteh-Ocloo
Reading his biography, his grandchildren, indicated that after he received some home teachings from his father on how to read, and write the Ewe language and arithmetic at age ten his father, Griffith Blemadzi, and his mother Rosina then enrolled him and his younger brother, Gershon to school at Tefle Presbyterian Primary school for the first time. 

The biography indicated that Seth was just ten years and by which time the father was dead.
Seth attended several other Presbyterian and Methodist Elementary schools in Sokpoe, Tema, Mepe, Teshie, and Nkawkaw. He finished Standard 4 at Nkawkaw Methodist Middle School in 1951 and was later admitted to the Government Secondary Technical School in Takoradi where he planned to study Science to prepare him for an Engineering career.

But, upon completing his first year at Takoradi, he returned to his uncle, Samuel Kwame Akafoh at Nkawkaw to spend a long summer vacation.
"In the first week of August 1952, Seth contracted Spinal Meningitis making him unconscious.
“Even more shocking was the fact that Seth lost his ability to hear and stand much less walk completely".

"All who came to see him, though it was a temporary thing and that he will regain his sense of hearing a few days but days turned into weeks then months and years, Seth remained deaf although he later learned to stand and walk again, his hearing loss has remained permanent", the biography further stated.

Unknown to everybody what sickness has afflicted Seth, that mystery of his hearing loss was finally explained two years later when he saw an ear, nose, and throat specialist, Dr. JB David at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
The Doctor, after examining Seth and listening to how he lost his hearing, informed Seth's parents that the young man had suffered spinal meningitis causing the hearing loss.

Seth wrote to Ghana's Head of State at the time, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, asking for help in his efforts to regain his hearing or at least help him buy a hearing aid. 
Kwame Nkrumah's office referred Seth to the Department of Social Welfare for help. 

The Social Welfare Department though, unable to help kept Seth's name on their books.
And so, "In the last week of July 1957, the Social Welfare Department sent word to Seth to come and meet the American who had come to Ghana to explore the possibility of starting a school for deaf children. When Seth finally met this man, the Rev. Andrew Foster was astonished at the man he saw, particularly since Seth was not aware that deaf people go to school. 

Seth found that Andrew Foster was not only deaf but also an ordained Christian Minister," the biography noted.
Rev. Andrew Foster told Seth how his misfortune stroke him when he was just eleven yet completed High School by the correspondence from an American School in Chicago and enrolled at Gallaudet College in Washington DC where he founded his Mission, the Christian Mission for Deaf Africans in Detroit, Michigan and flew to Africa to work among the African Deaf.

After the unfavorable conditions in his first African country, Liberia, he moved to Ghana where he met Seth and formed a life-changing relationship.
Following the example of his mentor - Rev Andrew Foster, Seth enrolled at the American School in Chicago and studied by correspondence for three years, earning a High School Diploma and further to the Gallaudet College, Washington DC where he earned his first degree in Psychology, Magna Cum Laude and spent one more year at Gallaudet to study Masters degree in Deaf Education, he completed in 1965.

Dr. Seth Lawrence Tetteh-Ocloo happened to be the first deaf African to receive a Bachelors's and Master's degree.
His groundbreaking exploits were noticed by both Ghana's Ambassador to the US then and the President of the USA, President Lyndon Baines Johnson who attended Seth's graduation and personally handed him his Master's degree.

Upon his return to Ghana, Seth went back to the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development to work as a Rehabilitation Officer.
"While there, Seth got a grant from the Kwame Nkrumah Trust Fund to found the State School for the Deaf in Ghana at Osu, Accra in June 1966 which was later relocated to Teshie and finally to Adjei Kojo within the Tema West Municipality.
The wife of the celebrant, Mrs. Elizabeth Tetteh-Ocloo, a trained and dedicated teacher of the deaf was chosen by the Ministry of Education to head his new school.
The African-American Institute sponsored Seth to pursue his doctorate at the Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, he earned his Ph.D. in the spring of 1973 as the first dead African to obtain a doctoral degree.
After obtaining a working Green Card in 1977, he relocated to Chicago and worked as a teacher at Whitney Youth High School.
He was later invited in 1979 by his classmate from Gallaudet, Dr. Harvey Jay Carson to Louisiana School for the Deaf in Baton Rouge to work as an Assistant Principal for the Elementary Branch of the School.
He later moved to Gallaudet University to teach for five years as an Assistant Professor in the Graduate Department of Education, retired, and returned to Baton Rouge to join his wife who had continued as a teacher at the School for the Deaf.
Being an ardent lover and fanatic of Sports, he enjoys playing tennis.

At the ceremony, the Education Coordinator for the Tema West Municipality expressed her appreciation to the legend for his wonderful feat in life and prayed for continued good health and longevity to Dr. Seth Lawrence Tetteh-Ocloo.
The Paramount Chief of Adjei Kojo, Nii Adjetey Adjeifio I, pledgedcontinuedinual support for the school.

He further indicated his resolve to assist the school to acquire a bigger parcel of land should the need arise.
The headmaster of the school, Mr. appealed for assistance to build a fully-fledged vocational training workshop for the students since that can offer them a tool for life.

He also appealed to the state-of-the-art dormitory for the girls in the school. 
The program was characterized by unique cultural performances by the students of the school.
The students also displayed their various artworks.

By Prosper Kwaku Selassy Agbitor