E G Malherbe
1896 -1983

Author of academic books
Rector of the University of Natal, 1943 - 1965

Ernst Gideon (Ernie) Malherbe was born at Luckhoff in 1896. He studied at Stellenbosch University (Higher Teacher's Diploma and MA) and the University of Columbia, New York (MA and PhD).
He was a founding member of the National Commission of Education (Nasionale Buro vir Opvoedkunde and Maatskaplike navorsing - later Raad vir Geesteswetenskaplike Navorsing or RGN) of which he was the first director (1929 - 1939) and chief - editor of the Report on poor whites for the Carnegie Commission (1928 - 1932). Malherbe was later the Director of the Census Office and, during the war, Head of National Intelligence.
1943 - 1965: Rector of the University of Natal.

Ernie Malherbe was a great educator. As principal of Natal University, Malherbe was instrumental in organising a very successful conference on Education as part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the University in 1960. The procedings of the conference were published in Education and Our Expanding Horizons.
"At the Conference we wanted to deal with the role of education in a holistic fashion....
Thus it came about that we had among the overseas speakers men like Sir Julian Huxley, Sir Vivian Fuchs, Sir Edmund Hillary and SirJohn Maud ....
Education in the home, in the school and at university received fresh interpretations, not only from the overseas speakers, but also from the scores of South African speakers who read papers and participted so effectively in the discussions." (From the Foreword)

Ernie Malherbe enjoyed sports, especially swimming and golf.

Find more quotes in Nic Spaull's blog

Awards and Honours:
Doctor honoris causa from ten universities: Sydney, Cambridge, Queens, Melbourne, McGill, Cape Town, Natal, Rhodes, Wits and St Andrews

Publications:
The poor white problem in South Africa: report of the Carnegie Commission, Pro Ecclesia, 1932
The autonomy of our universities and apartheid
Education in South Africa, 1652-1922, Juta, 1925
Handbook on education and social work in South Africa (editor), New Education Fellowship, 1934
Educational adaptations in a changing society: report of the South African Education (Conference held in Cape Town and Johannesburg in July 1934), Juta, 1937
Race Attitudes & Education, 1946
Die tweetalige skool: 'n ondersoek in sake tweetaligheid in Suid-Afrika, Johannesburg: Tweetalige Skool-Vereniging, [1943?]
The bilingual school: a study of bilingualism in South Africa, Bilingual School Association
Education for leadership in Africa, Durban: Natal Technical College, 1960
Education and Our Expanding Horizons, 1960
South Africa: the road ahead (compiled by Hildegarde Spottiswoode), Timmins, 1960
Bantu Manpower And Education (A Theme Paper Delivered On January 17 At The 1969 Conference On Bantu Education, Sairr, 1969)
Never a dull moment (Autobiography), Timmins, 1981