Akufo-Addo was born at Dodowa.[1] He had his basic education at Presbyterian Primary and Middle Schools at Dodowa.[1] In 1929, he entered Achimota College, from where he won a scholarship to St Peter's College, Oxford University, where he studied Mathematics, Politics and Philosophy.[1]
Pre-political career
Akufo-Addo was called to the Middle Temple Bar, London, UK in 1940[1] and returned to what was then the Gold Coast to start a private legal practice a year later.
Early political career
In 1947, he became a founding member of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) and was one of the "Big Six" detained after disturbances in Accra. From 1949–1950, he was a member of the Gold Coast Legislative Council and the Coussey Constitutional Commission.
Post-independence career
After independence (1962–1964), Akufo-Addo was a Supreme Court Judge (One of three Judges who sat on Treason trial involving Tawiah Adamafio, Ako Adjei and three others after the Kulungugu bomb attack on President Kwame Nkrumah and for doing so was dismissed with fellow judges for finding some of the accused not guilty). From 1966–1970, he was appointed Chief Justice by the National Liberation Council (NLC) regime as well as Chairman of the Constitutional Commission (Commission that drafted the 1969 Second Republican Constitution). He was also head of the NLC Political Commission during this same time period. From August 31, 1970 until his deposition by coup d'état on January 13, 1972, Akufo-Addo was President of Ghana in the Second Republic. He was a ceremonial President and had no executive powers as all powers lay with the Prime Minister, Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia. On July 17, 1979, Akufo-Addo died of natural causes.