Stella Aurorae: The University of Natal (1976 to 2003)

Bill Guest

Description

This is the last of a three-volume history by Bill Guest of a major South African university founded as the Natal University College in Pietermaritzburg in 1909. Despite trying conditions, including two world wars, the university expanded, developed a second campus (Howard College) in Durban and became the University of Natal in 1949.  

Thereafter until the mid-1970s the university continued to develop a dual-centred institution while struggling to maintain its autonomy. This included control of a third campus, a blacks-only medical school, in the face of interference from the apartheid government. The administrative centre of gravity shifted inexorably towards Durban as student enrolments and course options increased in the larger city, which also had many more potential donors.

This final volume covers the tumultuous years from 1976 to 2003 during which many of the university's staff and students became embroiled in resistance to apartheid and then engaged with the consequences once the country had achieved political freedom in 1994. Some contributed to the formulation of national government policies for the new South Africa and in the restructuring of the university as it became completely desegregated and coped with financial constraints.

Meanwhile it had also become a four-campus institution with the incorporation of Edgewood College of Education; and eventually five following its 2004 merger with the University of Durban-Westville to form the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

In addition to other sources, including staff and student reminiscences, the author draws extensively on the University's archive of publications, reports, documents and minutes of meetings, recalling both the serious and the lighter side of campus life.

Sujets

• HISTORY
• EDUCATION
• Histoire
• Republic of South Africa
• África
• South Africa
• Higher
• South
• Tertiary education
• History of Africa
• Africa
• Pietermaritzburg
• Afrique du Sud

Informations

• Publié par: Natal Society Foundation
• Date de parution: 11 juin 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781991225672
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 18 Mo

Extrait

STELLA AURORAE The History of a South African University Volume 2 Bill Guest
STELLA AURORAEThis is the second of a three-volume history by Bill Guest of a major South African
university founded as the Natal University College in Pietermaritzburg in 1909.
Despite trying conditions, including two world wars, the university expanded,
developed a second campus (Howard College) in Durban and became the University
of Natal in 1949.
This volume covers the years 1949 to 1976 during which the university continued
to develop as a dual-centred institution while struggling to maintain its autonomy.
This included control of a new third campus, a blacks-only medical school, in the
face of interference from the apartheid government. The administrative centre of
gravity shifted inexorably towards Durban as student enrolments and course options
increased in the larger city.
In addition to other sources the author draws extensively on the university archives of
publications, reports, documents, reminiscences and minutes of meetings, recalling
both the serious as well as the lighter side of campus life.
Volume three will focus on the tumultuous years from 1977 to 2003 in which many
of the university’s staff and students became embroiled in the resistance to apartheid
and then engaged with the consequences once the country had achieved political
freedom in 1994. Some contributed to the formulation of national government
policies for the new South Africa and in the restructuring of the university as it
became completely desegregated and coped with fi nancial constraints.
THE HISTORY OF A
SOUTH AFRICAN
UNIVERSITYOccasional Publications of
the Natal Society Foundation
PIETERMARITZBURG Volume 2
The University of Natal
(1949–1976)
9 780639 804088
Photograph by Cynthia Guest
Bill GuestSTELLA AURORAE:
THE HISTORY OF A SOUTH AFRICAN UNIVERSITY
Volume 2
The University of Natal (1949–1976)
Bill Guest
Occasional Publications of the Natal Society Foundation
PIETERMARITZBURG
2017Stella Aurorae: The History of a South African University
Volume 2: The University of Natal (1949–1976)
© Bill Guest 2017
Published in 2017 in Pietermaritzburg by the Trustees of the Natal Society Foundation under its
imprint ‘Occasional Publications of the Natal Society Foundation’.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or
by any means, without reference to the publishers, the Trustees of the Natal Society Foundation,
PO Box 11093, Dorpspruit 3206, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
Natal Society Foundation website: http://www.natalia.org.za/
ISBN 978-0-6398040-8-8 (paperback)
Editor: Christopher Merrett
Assistant editors: Peter Croeser and Phila Msimang
Proofreader: Cathy Munro
Indexers: Cynthia and Bill Guest
Design & layout: Jo Marwick
Body text: Times New Roman 11pt
Front & footnotes: Times New Roman 9pt
Photograph acknowledgements:
T.B. (Jack) Frost (1955: Oribi pool party, p. 138). All other photographs: courtesy of UKZN
Archives and Killie Campbell Museum LibraryIn memory of the late Denise (1942–2001)
and for Cynthia,
with gratitudeCONTENTS
Author’s note
Abbreviations
List of fgures
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Part One: 1949−1960
Chapter 1 Dualism and development 3
Chapter 2 Stafng and teaching 39
Chapter 3 Research and community service 61
Chapter 4 Student life 83
Chapter 5 Segregation and celebration 139
Part Two: 1961−1976
Chapter 6 The end of an era 177
Chapter 7 Stafng and teaching 199
Chapter 8 Research and community service 247
Chapter 9 Student life 297
Chapter 10 Turbulent times 367
Bibliography 427
General index 439AUTHOR’S NOTE
The use of racial terminology is always controversial and potentially
ofensive. This is particularly the case in the South African context in which,
unfortunately, its extensive presence in historical commentaries and records
makes it impossible to avoid. For the sake of consistency, in this book those
references that imply a place or country of origin are given in upper case,
for example, African, Afrikaner, European and Indian. References that denote
dubious classifcation by skin colour are given in lower case, for example,
black, coloured and white. No ofence is intended in the use of these terms.ABBREVIATIONS
ACU Association of Commonwealth Universities
AE&CI African Explosives and Chemical Industries
AEB Atomic Energy Board
AFC Academic Freedom Committee
ANC African National Congress
APC Alan Paton Centre (UKZN, Pietermaritzburg)
ASA Academic Staf Association
ASB Afrikaanse Studente Bond
BA Bachelor of Arts
BA (Hons) Bachelor of Arts (Honours)
BBC British Broadcasting Corporation
BCL Bachelor of Civil Law (Oxford)
B.Comm. Bachelor of Commerce
B.Sc. Bachelor of Science
B.Sc. (Agric.) Bachelor of Science (Agriculture)
B.Sc. (Hons) Bachelor of Science (Honours)
CAE Centre for Adult Education
CBE Commander of the Order of the British Empire
COPHC Community Orientated Primary Health Care
CSIR Council for Scientifc and Industrial Research
CUP Committee of University Principals
CV curriculum vitae
DAR Durban Archive Repository
Dbn Durban
D.Litt. Doctor of Letters
DNA deoxyribonucleic acid
D.Phil. Doctor of Philosophy
Dr Doctor
DRAMSOC Drama Society
D.Sc. Doctor of Science
ed.(s) editor(s)
ERHEleanor Russell Hall
ESCOM Electricity Supply Commission
FRD Foundation for Research Development
HSRC Human Sciences Research Council
IIC Industrial Information Centre
ISR Institute for Social Research
KCML Killie Campbell Museum Library
KZN KwaZulu-Natal
LLBBachelor of Laws
MA Master of ArtsMBE Member of the Order of the British Empire
M.Comm. Master of Commerce
MIEE Member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers
MP Member of Parliament
M.Sc. Master of Science
MTB Memorial Tower Building
NCSR National Council for Social Research
n.d. no date
NFA Natal Field Artillery
no. number
NPANatal Provincial Administration
NRF National Research Foundation
NSF Natal Society Foundation
NUC Natal University College
NUDF Natal University Development Foundation
NUSAS National Union of South African Students
OBE Ofcer of the Order of the British Empire
PAR Pietermaritzburg Archives Repository
PDL poverty datum line
Pmb. g
PRIPaint Research Institute
RAU Rand Afrikaans University
SA South Africa
SABC South African Broadcasting Corporation
SALA South African Library Association
SAMRC South African Medical Research Council
SANSPA African National Student Press Association
SASO South African Students Organisation
SASOL African Synthetic Oil Ltd
SATV South African Television
SCA Student Christian Association
Senex Senate Executive Committee
SPASEC Students of Pietermaritzburg African Social and Educational Club
SRC Students Representative Council
UCT University of Cape Town
UED University Education Diploma
UKZN University of KwaZulu-Natal
UKZNA University of KwaZulu-Natal Archives (Pmb. campus)
UN University of Natal
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientifc and Cultural Organisation
UNISA University of South Africa
URC University Research Committee
URF University Research FundUTASA University Teachers Association of South Africa
vol. volume
WitsUniversity of the Witwatersrand
WRC Water Research Commission
YMCA Young Mens Christian AssociationLIST OF FIGURES
1. G.G. (George Gordon) Campbell 10
2. Library Building (Pietermaritzburg) and Memorial Tower
Building (Durban) 38
3. J. A.V. (John) Fairbrother 45
4. S.J. (Susarah) Truter 47
5. H. (Hugh) Grant-Whyte 54
6. H.L. (Henry or Harry) Wallace 54
7. W.J.G. (Walter) Fairbairn 55
8. M. (Maria) Schmidt-Ihms 58
9. M-L. (Marie-Louise) Tricaud 58
10. J.D. (Hamish) Scott 67
11. E.R. (Edwin, Jimmy) Orchard 69
12. R.A. (Ronald) Hellawell 70
13. A.S. (Tony) Mathews 75
14. H. (Hilda) Ditchburn 77
15. R.E. (Roger) Raab 86
16. C.O. (Colin) Gardner 93
17. S.E. (Siegfried) Drewes 104
18. R.E. (Ronald) MacMillan 106
19. Student Pool Party at Oribi (1955) 138
20. I. (Isodor, Okkie) Gordon 144
21. I. (Ian) Allan 156
22. R.A. (Ron) Brown 182
23. J.L. (Jack) Dowley 189
24. Muckleneuk (Durban) and New Library (Pietermaritzburg) 198
25. O. (Owen) Williams 216
26. M.W.J. (Malcolm) Scourfeld 217
27. E.T. (Edward) Woodburn 221
28. K. (Kenneth) Knight 222
29. E.J. (Edward) O’Brien 224
30. D. (Dennis) Pudifn 226
31. B.T. (Bernard) le Roux 227
32. N.K. (Nelida) Lamond 240
33. A.J. (Anne) Alexander 251
34. P. (Patricia, Pat) Berjak 252
35. C.H. (Chris) Bornman 253
36. G.D.L. (Deneys) Schreiner 254
37. A.D.M. (David) Walker 258
38. J.A.J. (Waldo) Meester 260
39. R.M. (Rob) Gous 262
40. Y.K. (Yacoob) Seedat 276
41. F. (Fatima) Meer 28542. W.A. (Wilfred) Owen 305
43. E.B. (Exton) Burchell 316
44. A.G. (Alfred) Rooks 319
45. E. (Ellie) Newman (caricature) 322
46. D. (David) McQuoid-Mason (caricature) 322
47. K.H.C. (Kenneth) McIntyre 323
48. S. (Sorom