James Churchill Vaughan
Encyclopedia
James Churchill Vaughan (30 May 1893 – 1937) was a Nigeria
n doctor and a prominent political activist.
on 30 May 1893, the son of James Wilson Vaughan.
His father was a prosperous Lagos merchant.
He was among the first set of scholars at King's College, Lagos
when it was founded in 1909.
Vaughan and Isaac Ladipo Oluwole were the two first Nigerian students at the University of Glasgow, studying medicine there from 1913 to 1918, when they graduated with medical degrees.
The two students were subject to racial prejudice. In the program for the final dinner in 1918, Vaughan was given an epithet after Robert Burns
's "The Twa Dogs", likening him to a foreign born dog, "whalpit some place far abroad".
He also provided free medical services for the destitute.
Vaughan attempted with little success to collate the works of the pioneering Nigerian doctor Oguntola Sapara
, who had taken a special interest in traditional herbal medicines, but had left only fragmentary records of his researches.
Vaughan became an outspoken critic of the British Colonial Administration, and was one of the founders of the Lagos Youth Movement in 1934. along with other leading activists including Dr Kofo Abayomi
, Hezekiah Oladipo Davies, Ernest Sissei Ikoli, and Samuel Akinsanya
.
Vaughan was the first president of the movement.
The Lagos Youth Movement originally had improvement of higher education as its goal, but within four years had become the most influential nationalist organization in the country. It was renamed the Nigerian Youth Movement in 1936 to emphasize its pan-Nigerian objectives.
One of the early issues was the curriculum of medical teaching at the Yaba Higher College.
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n doctor and a prominent political activist.
Birth and education
Vaughan was born in LagosLagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
on 30 May 1893, the son of James Wilson Vaughan.
His father was a prosperous Lagos merchant.
He was among the first set of scholars at King's College, Lagos
King's College, Lagos
King's College, Lagos is a secondary school in Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria. It was founded on 20 September 1909 with 10 students on its original site at Lagos Island, adjacent to Tafawa Balewa Square. The school admits male students only, although there were some female HSC students before the...
when it was founded in 1909.
Vaughan and Isaac Ladipo Oluwole were the two first Nigerian students at the University of Glasgow, studying medicine there from 1913 to 1918, when they graduated with medical degrees.
The two students were subject to racial prejudice. In the program for the final dinner in 1918, Vaughan was given an epithet after Robert Burns
Robert Burns
Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
's "The Twa Dogs", likening him to a foreign born dog, "whalpit some place far abroad".
Career
Returning to Nigeria in the early 1920s, Vaughan set up a private clinic.He also provided free medical services for the destitute.
Vaughan attempted with little success to collate the works of the pioneering Nigerian doctor Oguntola Sapara
Oguntola Sapara
Oguntola Odunbaku Sapara was a doctor, originally from Sierra Leone, who spent most of his career in Nigeria. He was best known for his campaign against secret societies that were spreading smallpox.-Birth and education:...
, who had taken a special interest in traditional herbal medicines, but had left only fragmentary records of his researches.
Vaughan became an outspoken critic of the British Colonial Administration, and was one of the founders of the Lagos Youth Movement in 1934. along with other leading activists including Dr Kofo Abayomi
Kofo Abayomi
Kofoworola Adekunle "Kofo" Abayomi, Kt was a Nigerian ophthalmologist who was one of the founders of the nationalist Lagos Youth Movement in 1934 and who went on to have a distinguished public service career.-Early years:...
, Hezekiah Oladipo Davies, Ernest Sissei Ikoli, and Samuel Akinsanya
Samuel Akinsanya
Samuel Akinsanya, also rendered incorrectly as Akisanya, was a Nigerian trade unionist and nationalist based in Lagos, Nigeria during the colonial era, one of the founders of the Nigerian Youth Movement.-Early years:...
.
Vaughan was the first president of the movement.
The Lagos Youth Movement originally had improvement of higher education as its goal, but within four years had become the most influential nationalist organization in the country. It was renamed the Nigerian Youth Movement in 1936 to emphasize its pan-Nigerian objectives.
One of the early issues was the curriculum of medical teaching at the Yaba Higher College.