was a disciple of Isaac Wallace-Johnson's West African Youth League, which had a strong anti-colonial message and who fought for equality and independence of Sierra Leone and its citizens. Decker believed in the unification of the Protectorate and the Crown Colony, and he believed that the Krio language would have a large part to play in realizing the dream of a united Sierra Leone. Revision on the Krio language Thomas Decker was one of the first people to term Sierra Leone's lingua franca "Krio". He argued for the widespread use of Krio throughout the country, and to him it was a unifying force for the nation after independence. Decker's work on the Krio language sparked a revival in the appreciation for the language. During the 1960s, Decker was considered to be the leader of young Krio linguists, and it was during this time period that some of his most famous works were published. Later years and legacy Decker became sick in June 1978, and on 7 September 1978 he died at the Royal Masonic Hospital in London. The decade before his death, Decker had been at the forefront of the national movement of that time, and he was remembered for his work on the Krio language in the bicentenary celebration of the founding of the Province of Freedom. Shortly before his death, Decker was awarded an OBE for his literary efforts. Miscellaneous Lati Hyde, the first female graduate of Fourah Bay College and first African principal of Annie Walsh Memorial School, was a member of the Fraser family and she was Thomas Decker's first cousin. Talabi Lucan, a Sierra Leonean author, is the first cousin of Thomas Decker, through her descent from the Fraser family. Christiana Thorpe, the current chief of the Sierra Leone National Electoral Commission, is the third cousin of Thomas Decker due to her descent from the Fraser family of Murray Town. Thomas Decker was named for his maternal grandfather, Thomas C. Fraser, and he delved into research on the Decker and Fraser families. Decker also had an interest in drawing, which may have been due to his father's work as an architect Published works Death of Boss Coker (24–25 October 1939) Julius Caesar (1964) Udat de kiap fit: a Krio adaptation of As You Like It (1966) Tales of the Forest (London: Evans Bros, 1968) See also Krio language Sierra Leone Creole people Sources Neville Shrimpton,