Veterinary Education in South Africa: the Classes of 1938 and 1939
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Historical article — Historiese artikel Veterinary education in South Africa: the Classes of 1938 and 1939 R D Bigalkea ABSTRACT Concise descriptions are given of the life histories of the 10 members of the classes of 1938 and 1939. All of them initially joined the government service, Hugo, Steenekamp and Schatz spending their entire careers in the South African Veterinary (Field) Services. Mansvelt, the first recipient of the much-coveted Theiler medal, was the 2nd veterinarian to be appointed Director of Veterinary Services, a position specially created for the ‘Field’ in 1962. Having first established a successful private practice, Hofmeyr was appointed as the 1st full-time Professor of Surgery of the Onderstepoort Faculty in 1958 and its 1st full-time Dean in 1976. Albertyn opted for a career in public health, becoming director of 1 of the largest local municipal abattoirs. Turner spent virtually his entire career in private practice and was eventually joined by Brown who had served in the British Colonial Veterinary Service for many years. Fick was a government veterinarian for his entire career, first in South Africa, then in the British Colonial Service (for 13 years) and finally returning to South Africa. Like Hugo, Muller filled a senior position in Veterinary (Field) Services before he opted for a farming career. Keywords: 1938 and 1939, British Colonial Service, Dean of Faculty, graduates, private practice, public health, state veterinarians, Theiler medal. Fig. 2: J F Fick. Bigalke R D Veterinary education in South Africa : the Classes of 1938 and 1939. Journal of 10 September 1914 in Christiana and ob- the South African Veterinary Association (2011) 82(4): 190–193 (En.). 231 Charles Street, Preto- tained his BVSc degree in 1938. He ria, 0181 South Africa. subsequently spent his entire career in the civil service, first with the Division of Vet- erinary (Field) Services, doing duty as The Class of 1938 evidence. Therefore the photograph was state veterinarian at East London and The photograph of the Class of 1938 probably taken at the end of the final year Umtata. However, in 1949 he decided to (Fig. 1) is the customary pre-graduation shortly after completion of the examina- join the British Colonial Veterinary Ser- one on which the presumed Acting Dean, tions. At this stage Prof. DrPJduToit was vice and was posted to Swaziland as gov- Prof. Dr G de Kock, and head of the hostel, – and would for a further decade – be the ernment veterinary officer. In 1958 he was HPA de Boom, feature with 5 of the Dean of the Faculty. His absence can transferred to Bechuanaland (now Bot- 6 graduates. No graduation regalia are in probably only be ascribed to one of his swana) where he was promoted to divi- a many overseas visits. sional veterinary officer and placed in 231 Charles Street, Pretoria, 0181 South Africa. E-mail: [email protected] Johannes Fuch Fick (Fig. 2) was born on charge of the Western Division, stationed at Maun and Lobatsi. He retired from the Colonial Service in 1962 to rejoin Field Services stationed at Kokstad, but was transferred to Umtata in 1963 where he served until 1965. From there he was transferred to East London where he had started. He died in service on 26 June 1972 at the age of almost 58. Christiaan Frederick Beyers (Hoffie) Hofmeyr was born on 15 August 1916 in Pietersburg (now Polokwane) where his father farmed in the district. He matricu- lated at the Pietersburg High School and completed his 1st university year at Stellenbosch University. Qualifying as a veterinarian in 1938, he joined the Divi- sion of Veterinary (Field) Services as state veterinarian and was posted to Umtata in the Transkei where he met his future wife Brenda (née Munro). She was a great supporter of Hoffie’s career as veterinar- ian and very dedicated to their family Fig.1: Seated (left to right): S G Turner, Prof. G de Kock, H P A de Boom (head of hostel). Stand- consisting of 3 sons and a daughter. ing (left to right): P R Mansvelt, G L Muller, C F B Hofmeyr, N C F Steenekamp. After a transfer to Rustenburg, Hoffie 190 0038-2809 Tydskr.S.Afr.vet.Ver. (2011) 82(4): 190–193 opened a private practice in Pretoria in 1971–1975 and as member of its Federal Shortly after retiring, the Mansvelts Malan Street, Riviera. He obtained some Council. moved to East London where Pieter financial assistance for this, in those days, Prof. Hofmeyr was in considerable de- played golf with much dedication, but dramatic step from Dr Jack Boswell, who mand internationally, for example being opted for bowls in his last years when his had qualified in 1934. Hofmeyr later invited to deliver the Peter Wilson lecture health deteriorated. He died on 7 Febru- moved his practice to his home in Hilda at the University of Edinburgh and chair- ary 1988 aged 72. Street in Hatfield and finally to Pretorius ing sessions at the congress of the World G L (Laurie) Muller was born on 27 Street. Over the next 15 years he devel- Veterinary Association in Mexico City and January 1917 and matriculated at Grey oped his practice into one of the finest the congress of the World Association for College, Bloemfontein, in 1933. Although in this country. Even as practitioner he Cattle Diseases in Israel. He paid no less he was a member of the 1938 class at specialised in surgery, raising the disci- than 16 visits to overseas countries for Onderstepoort, he apparently had to pline to a professional level not reached scientific purposes. After retiring, the write a supplementary examination by any of his predecessors or contempo- Hofmeyr couple moved to George in the because he only registered as a veterinar- raries. His professionalism was legend- Western Cape. However, after a few years ian with the South African Veterinary ary. While still practising, he ran the they returned to Pretoria where Prof. Board [now SA Veterinary Council ambulatory clinic of the Onderstepoort Hofmeyr died, 4 years after Brenda, on (SAVC)] on 31 August 1939. He married faculty on a part-time basis. He was also 14 January 2004 aged 88. Hester Aletta Morgenthal on 5 October contracted as veterinarian to the National Pieter Rabe Mansvelt was born on 27 1940 and the couple had 4 daughters and Zoological Gardens in Pretoria. August 1916 in Parys and matriculated a son. Hoffie was appointed professor and with honours at the Ermelo High School Having joined the Division of Veteri- Head of Surgery at the Faculty in 1958 – in 1933. He qualified as veterinarian at nary Services as a state veterinarian, he the faculty having just been restructured Onderstepoort in 1938, being the 1st re- and his growing family were posted to to accommodate so-called full-time ap- cipient of the much-coveted Theiler various places in South Africa such as pointments – and built up his department medal as top student in his class. He was Kokstad, Umtata and Worcester, as was to one that could compete with the best in an excellent rugby player, for example as customary in those days. In 1941 we find the world. In 1969 he became part-time hooker for the University of Pretoria’s 1st them in Malmesbury, in 1944 in Upington Dean of the Faculty and in 1976 he was team. His first appointment was at the and in 1952 in Ixopo. In 1959 they moved appointed as its 1st full-time Dean. He was Onderstepoort Research Institute, and to Mossel Bay, where Laurie conducted instrumental in introducing postgradu- soon he was sent to East Africa to help run valuable research on the seasonal occur- ate, specialist, mainly clinical MMedVet a vaccination campaign against a serious rence of helminth infections in sheep in and BVSc (Hons) degrees in a large num- epidemic of rinderpest. On returning to the George district under the guidance of ber of disciplines as well as a very success- Onderstepoort he experienced a person- Dr (later Professor) Richard (Henk) ful diploma course in veterinary nursing. ality clash with one of the senior officials, Reinecke of Onderstepoort, obtaining a Prof. Hofmeyr was a great and active which resulted in his transfer to the Divi- DVSc degree in 1968 for a thesis based on protagonist of the Faculty’s incorporation sion of Veterinary (Field) Services as state these studies. In 1967 Dr Muller was pro- into the University of Pretoria, which, to veterinarian at the Louis Trichardt office, moted to regional director (title: Assistant- his great delight, realised in 1973 when where he stayed for 18 years. Here Pieter Director) of the Western Cape Veterinary the Faculty became independent from the married Marion (Maisie) McGregor and Region. He resigned from the govern- Onderstepoort Veterinary Research Insti- the couple had 3 children, a daughter and ment service in the early 1970s to concen- tute and the Department of Agriculture. A 2 sons, the youngest son dying in infancy. trate on pig farming and the experimental building programme for new lecture halls In 1958 he was promoted to regional di- production of methane from their dung and administrative facilities, for example rector (title: Assistant-Director) of the on a property in Agter Paarl. This enter- the new main building known as the Transvaal Veterinary Region, transferring prise was, however, not sustainable and Theiler building, as well as other essential to Pretoria. He was finally promoted to he rejoined the government service in teaching facilities plus supplying the Director of Veterinary Services of South 1988. He was initially posted to Oshakati equipment required, could now begin in Africa in 1972 and retired in 1976 at the in South West Africa/Namibia (now earnest.