Jimmy Moxon Collection of Louis Armstrong Materials

Jimmy Moxon, a colonial officer and Ghanaian civil servant, organized Louis Armstrong's two-day visit to Accra, Ghana, in May 1956, at the urging of Edward R. Murrow, the news broadcaster most closely associated with CBS, who partially sponsored the visit. An accompanying CBS camera crew filmed Armstrong, Lucille and his band, the All-Stars, to provide material for Murrow’s weekly program "See it Now” in a segment later titled “Satchmo the Great.” Ten thousand people turned out to greet Armstrong and his entourage at the airport and every event on the schedule was packed. Moxon, as the organizer of the trip, ensured that the visit ran smoothly, even rescheduling the performance time to the afternoon when it became clear that the camera crew would not have enough light to film at night.

Armstrong and his wife, Lucille, stayed with Moxon during their visit and by several accounts enjoyed their time in Ghana. (Moxon was later a guest of the Armstongs on a visit to New York.) The significance of the trip was heightened as Ghana was about to become the first African nation to declare its independence from Great Britain, with the formal declaration occurring on March 6, 1957.

Born in Shrewsbury, England, and educated at Cambridge, Moxon moved to Ghana at age 22. His wide-ranging career included writing, bookselling and publishing, as well as serving as a colonial officer and Ghanaian civil servant. He was the sole white traditional ruler and member of the House of Gods of Ghana. Known as a raconteur and restauranteur, Moxon was ideally placed to receive Louis Armstrong on his visit to Ghana in 1956. Moxon was a District Commissioner, who played a significant role in establishing the Ghana Information Service, notably its film unit. He was friendly with Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's first president, who insisted he remain in Ghana after independence and employed him as an adviser.

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