Joseph Brookman Amissah was born in Accra on the 6th of January 1932.  He was the son of Samuel and Elizabeth Brookman Amissah.  He had his elementary education at the Oda Government Boys School from 1938 to 1946 and then to the Catholic School, Sekondi.  He gained admission to the St Augustine’s College on a scholarship and read Physics graduating from the University College of Gold Coast in 1954.

Following his graduation, he became a teacher at Mfantsipim Secondary School in Cape Coast teaching Mathematics and Science. He then became a civil servant travelling extensively as a young Government Agent in Bibiani and Dunkwa-on-Offin.  He served as Magistrate of Court on several occasions and further as an appellate Magistrate at Cape Coast in 1959.

He was appointed regional Administrative Officer and was stationed in Kumasi and Sunyani.   While in Sunyani, he was instrumental in overseeing the construction of the airport.  He vigorously campaigned for the mass vaccination of children against diseases, touring the then adult education centres in Sunyani.  He also travelled round the region highlighting the dangers from river born diseases and ensuring that the City Council extended pipe borne water to many of the villages.

In Kumasi he acted as the Chairman of the Management Committee of the Kumasi City Council and Chairman of the Barekese Resettlement Committee which saw the resettlement of the displaced villages on building the dam.  The Barekese Dam on the Ofin River was opened in 1969.

He became a Principal Secretary at the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Labour and Social Welfare, Information and subsequently as one of the youngest Senior Principal Secretaries at the Management Services Division at the seat of government, Osu Castle.  During this time as a civil servant, he travelled extensively on behalf of the various ministries representing the government of Ghana at international conferences of the International Labour Organisation and others in Malta, United Kingdom, Switzerland and Germany.  On retirement he accepted a position as the Public Affairs Manager of the Accra Brewery Limited.

He was a keen sportsman and loved lawn and table tennis.  He was one of the founders of the legacy school, Englebert School in the Airport Residential Area.