Creech Jones and African Universities, 1943–50

Abstract

Sir Arthur Creech Jones has been an intriguing figure in British imperial history both as a Member of Parliament and as Secretary of State for the Colonies. He had a tradition of devotion to colonial causes and, over many years, developed contacts with the colonial intelligentsia. For ten years as a backbencher in parliament, Creech Jones remained ‘the principal voice of the House of Commons’ conscience on colonies’.¹ Believing that a class of well-educated Africans would prove beneficial to Britain, Creech Jones courted the African elite and strongly favoured the continued expansion of this class through the provision of institutions for higher education. Although available evidence attests to the central, but sometimes ambiguous, role that Creech Jones played, scholars have been rather slow in placing him within the centre-stage of events culminating in the post-war establishment of universities in British colonial Africa. It is against this background that this study focuses on Creech Jones’ ideas and actions for African university education in the post-war years.