The maiden edition of the David Wilberforce Kwami Dawson Centenary Memorial Awards has been held at the College of Architecture and Planning, KNUST. The award was given to two students an undergraduate, Vida Agra Sena Aku and a post graduate student Marfo Thomas Ntiamoah.

The two awardees are students with the highest Cumulative Weighted Average (CWA)

The Provost of the College of Architecture and Planning, S.O Asiamah, said the family of the late D.W.K. Dawson confirmed with the College the institution of an award on the centenary birthday celebration which falls on the 6th of February this year.

The special Guest of honour, Prof. John Owusu Addo a former Pro Vice-Chancellor of KNUST thanked the Dawson family for their kind gesture. He called on other benevolent organizations and individuals to institute similar awards in the college, to assist brilliant students.

A representative of the Dawson family, Arthur Dawson who is also a son of the late D.W.K. Dawson thanked the University for allowing the family to institute the memorial award and supporting the scheme with a thousand Ghana Cedis. He explained that the award is in commemoration of the creativity, nationalism and achievements of his father. He prayed that the advent of the centenary birthday celebration and the memory of his father’s qualities may return to aid, comfort, and sustain the recipients of the awards. 

The Late David Wilberforce Kwami Dawson was born on the 6th February 1909 in the Gold Coast. He was among the pioneers of Ghanaian architects at the time of Ghana’s Independence. Mr. Dawson was a public artist endowed with great imagination and creativity. He started work as a draughtsman in 1928 and entered the Leeds University, U.K in 1944 and graduated as an architect in 1946.
 
The Late D.W.K. Dawson designed the Arch on the Independence Square and the Baiden Powell Memorial Hall. He also started and was instrumental in the formation of the Ghana Institute of Architects in November 1962. He died at the age of 53.

Present at the ceremony were the Provost, Deans, Staff and Students of the College, the Dufia of Keta, Togbui James OclooVI, Queen mother of Keta, Mama Awomedzi 1, his entourage and Madam Afi Dawson, daughter of the late Architect D.W.K Dawson.