In the article below, researcher and writer Martin Hatchuel delves into the life of William Smith, one of South Africa's most recognisable teachers. Hatchuel charts Smith's entrepreneurial flair in education and tourism and digs into the archive to reveal some fantastic photographs of Smith growing up.
Education and early career
Smith was born in Makhanda (Grahamstown) on 25 June 1939 to the ichthyologists, Professor Margaret Smith and Professor J. L. B. Smith, the man who identified and described the coelacanth. [Bruton, 2018]
A young William Smith
Smith attended St. Andrew's Preparatory School in Makhanda, and Union High School in Graaff-Reinet, from which he matriculated in 1956. [Bruton, 2018] He then enrolled at Rhodes University, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in physics and chemistry, and an honours degree (cum laude) in chemistry. He earned a master's degree from the University of Natal (Pietermaritzburg campus) in only five months in 1961 (conferred in 1962). [Bruton, 2018] [Smith, pers. comm.] [Rhodes, 2019]
Rhodes University (Wikipedia)
[[{"fid":"13573","view_mode":"media_adaptive","fields":{"format":"media_adaptive","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"William Smith and Margaret - Graduation - Sourced by Martin Hatchuel"},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"5":{"format":"media_adaptive","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"William Smith and...
