Born in the year 1938, Professor Florence Abena Dolphyne is a Ghanaian linguist and academic, who rose to become the first female professor and first female pro-vice chancellor of the country’s premier university, the University of Ghana.
Prof. Dolphyne served the University of Ghana for 36 years after obtaining a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from the University in 1958 and a PhD in Phonetics and Linguistics from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London in 1965.
From a lecturer in the department of Linguistics, she rose through the ranks to become the Head of Department and later the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, currently known as the School of Arts. She was later promoted to the status of a Professor in Linguistics.
From a rather low-income background, she fought her way up the ladder to attain the prestigious position of professorship.
Born at Akynakrom in the Ejisu-Juabeng District of the Ashanti Region, Florence went through the Wenchi Methodist Primary School to Achinakrom Methodist Primary School but had to sell kenkey and bread at that point to be able to move ahead with her education, at Mmofraturo Girl’s Boarding School.
After her basic education, she proceeded to the Wesley Girls Senior High School in Cape Coast for her secondary education and did her 6th form section at Mfantsipim School (which was only mixed at 6th form) and she emerged the first female student to win a prize.
She furthered to the University of Ghana in 1958 and graduated with a BA (Hons) degree in English in 1961.
After this, she moved to the School of Oriental & African Studies at the University of London where she earned her PhD.
Florence began her career as a teacher at the Labone Senior High School and then joined academic staff of the University of Ghana in September 1965.
She is known as one of the founding members of the Department of Linguistics and Ghanaian Languages at the University of Ghana.
From there, she rose to become the Head of the Linguistics Department and also Senior Tutor and Warden of the Volta Hall.
She was appointed Professor of Linguistics in 1996.
She also served as Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the university. She was awarded an honorary doctorate (D.Litt) by the University of Ghana in 2004.