UCT Buildings

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UCT Buildings

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  • A.C. Jordan Building

    Born on October 30, 1906, in a tiny village, Mbokotwana, to the Nobadula family of the Zengele clan in the Tsolo District of the Eastern Cape, Archibald Campbell (AC) Jordan was a professor, author, scholar, writer, linguist, literary critic, poet, musician, humanist, cricket player, nationalist, freedom fighter, revolutionary, Christian and gentleman. He began his formal education at a primary school in Mbokotwana. He then attended St. Cuthbet’s Mission Higher Boarding School in the Tsolo District, St. John’s College in Umtata and Lovedale Institution in Alice. During the 1930’s, Jordan began his career in teaching. He earned his BA in English from the University College of Fort Hare in 1934. He received his MA in Bantu Languages (Linguistics) in 1943 from the University of Cape Town. Jordan became the first black African to be awarded a PhD in African Languages at UCT. He received his PhD in 1957. Between 1937 and 1942, Jordan was Vice- President of the Orange Free State African Teachers’ Association. From 1943-1944, he served as president of the Orange Free State African Teachers’ Association. Also he was a member of the Cape African Teachers’ Association. It was during 1940’s that Jordan became involved in a number of organisations and movements such as the Non-European Unity Movement (NEUM). He was a founding member of the Society of Young Africa (SOYA). As part of his social responsibility, Jordan was active in the establishment of a loan bursary fund for needy children in the Cape community and championed the cause of the needy in Langa and Nyanga. Jordan launched his academic career as a lecturer in Bantu Languages at the University of Fort Hare in 1945. But his stay at Fort Hare was of short duration. He spent the bulk of his teaching career at the University of Cape Town where he became lecturer from 1946 to 1962. According to his wife, Phyllis (nee Ntantala), Jordan was criticised for his decision to leave Fort Hare University for the University of Cape Town. His retort to the criticism was, according to his wife, spelt out in the following terms: I am going to UCT to open that (UCT) door and keep it ajar, so that our people too can come in. UCT on African soil belongs to US too. UCT can and will never be a true university until it admits US too, the children of the soil. I am going there to open that door and keep it ajar. At UCT, Jordan was lecturer in Lestrade’s Language section of the School of African Studies. He had by then published his classic, Ingqumbo yeminyanya (The Wrath of the Ancestors, which Jordan himself translated into English. AC Jordan became famous for developing an original method of teaching Xhosa to non-speakers. He supported the general strike that brought about the events in Sharpeville. Jordan might have succeeded in opening the UCT door and keeping “it ajar”, but he was not to stay at this University. In 1960, he was awarded a Carnegie travelling scholarship but was denied travel documents. He decided to leave for exile in 1962. He found apartheid, particularly the introduction of Bantu Education at tertiary level through the misnamed Extension of Universities Act of 1959 unbearable. He ended up resigning at UCT to, in the words of his wife “go start afresh somewhere”. In the process, he forfeited “his Pension Rights except what he had paid into”. He sought residence in Tanganyika (Tanzania), the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 1963, he became a professor at the University of Wisconsin (U.S) where he taught African Languages and Literature until his death in 1968. Despite his untimely death, Jordan had a prolific academic and literary career. As a pioneer in Bantu languages and literature, he wrote much of his creative writings in Xhosa, his mother tongue. He authored several articles and manuscripts. His most famous work is, as already noted, Ingqumbo yeMinyanya (The Wrath of the Ancestors), which was published in isiXhosa by Lovedale Press in 1940 and, as already indicated, later translated into English. Other works include Toward an African Literature, the translation of Nomabhadi and the Mbulu-Xhosa folktales, the revising of Mesatywa’s Xhosa Idiom, and a Xhosa lessons manual. Source: NOBC Minutes

  • All Africa House

    Wisdom (Xhosa) Light (Kalauga) Peace (Luganda) Education (Swahili) Understanding (Arabic) Patience (Afrikaans) Unite (Nguni languages) Diligence (Hausa) Light (Sotho-Tswana). It is the site of the first African Library and is part of All Africa House; names represent some of the African languages. Source: NOBC Minutes

  • Allan Cormack House (Office)

    Allan MacLeod Cormack (February 23, 1924 – May 7, 1998) was a South African-born American physicist who won the 1979 Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine (along with Godfrey Hounsfield) for his work on X-ray computed tomography (CT). Cormack received his B.Sc. in physics in 1944 from the University of Cape Town and his M.Sc. in crystallography in 1945 from the same institution. He was a research student at Cambridge University from 1947–50. He returned to the University of Cape Town in early 1950 to lecture. Following a sabbatical at Harvard in 1955-56, Cormack became a professor at Tufts University in the fall of 1956-64. Although he was mainly working on particle physics, Cormack's side interest in x-ray technology led him to develop the theoretical underpinnings of CT scanning. This work was initiated at the University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital in early 1956 and continued briefly in mid-1957 after Cormack returned from his sabbatical. His results were subsequently published in two papers in the Journal of Applied Physics in 1963 and 1964. These papers generated little interest until Hounsfield and colleagues built the first CT scanner in 1972, taking Cormack's theoretical calculations into a real application. For their independent efforts, Cormack and Hounsfield shared the 1979 Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine. He was member of the International Academy of Science. In 1990, he was awarded the National Medal of Science. He was posthumously awarded the Order of Mapungubwe in 2002 for outstanding achievements as a scientist and for co-inventing the CT scanner. With UCT as his base, his contribution to UCT is recognised in Allan Cormack House. The Nobel Foundation 1979. NNDB Mapper. http://www.nndb.com/people/498/000131105/.

  • Anatomy Building

    Part of Groote Schuur Campus, housing the Department of Anatomy.

  • Barnard Fuller Building

    Named after Edward Barnard Fuller (1868-1946), past student of the South African College (SAC), a member of the Council of the SAC (and UCT afterwards), Chairman from 1937 and Chairman of the SAC Senate for eight years. Barnard Fuller founded the UCT Medical School in 1912. He was resident of Convocation up to the time of his death in 1946. For many years he was a lecturer in Clinical Surgery at the university and during his latter years he established the Department of Urology at the hospital. In 1940 the University awarded him an honorary Doctorate of Laws. Through his work, the UCT medical school was both established and was the first medical school in Southern Africa. Source: Origins of Names of Buildings at the University of Cape Town, Mr M. Musemwa (Department of History UCT, 1993).Dent, D. and Perez, G. 2012. The place and the person: Named buildings, rooms and place on the campus on the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town. SAMJ. Vol. 102: 6.

  • Baxter Hall

    Named after William Duncan Baxter (son-in-law of J.W. Jagger). Born in Dundee in 1868, Baxter came to Cape Town as his uncle's successor at age 18. He learned the ropes, becoming a successful businessman when he took over the business in 1895. He was Mayor of Cape Town in 1907 and was a City Councillor for 11 years. His interests extended to education: he was a generous supporter of the university during his lifetime. On his death in 1960, he left the university a legacy of more than R500 000 with the express wish that this be used to build a theatre to promote the arts in Cape Town. He was, like Jagger, chairman of the university finance committee and was chairman of the UCT Council, from 1945-1960. Inspired by Jagger, Baxter was committed to the university’s growth, joining the UCT community at the time of the Groote Schuur campus construction in 1921. In total, he worked with the university for 33 years on both the Building and Finance committees. At the age of 89, he marched with Chancellor Centlivres and Prof R.W. James in the university's protest march against the principle of academic segregation. Source: Origins of Names of Buildings at the University of Cape Town, Mr M. Musemwa (Department of History UCT, 1993). Baxter Theatre Centre. Degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa. William Duncan Baxter. 12 December 1940. Quinn, G. 1962. W. D. Baxter. UCT, Dec. 1908. Quinn, G. 1962.A theatre for Cape Town. In Vita Musica Vol. 1 (2). Archives: Baxter.

  • Baxter Theatre

    Named after William Duncan Baxter (son-in-law of J.W. Jagger). Born in Dundee in 1868, Baxter came to Cape Town as his uncle's successor at age 18. He learned the ropes, becoming a successful businessman when he took over the business in 1895. He was Mayor of Cape Town in 1907 and was a City Councillor for 11 years. His interests extended to education: he was a generous supporter of the university during his lifetime. On his death in 1960, he left the university a legacy of more than R500 000 with the express wish that this be used to build a theatre to promote the arts in Cape Town. He was, like Jagger, chairman of the university finance committee and was chairman of the UCT Council, from 1945-1960. Inspired by Jagger, Baxter was committed to the university’s growth, joining the UCT community at the time of the Groote Schuur campus construction in 1921. In total, he worked with the university for 33 years on both the Building and Finance committees. At the age of 89, he marched with Chancellor Centlivres and Prof R.W. James in the university's protest march against the principle of academic segregation. After considering various sites in Bree Street, Long Street and the foreshore, the university council decided in 1968 to build the Baxter Theatre on vacant land between the College of Music and Main Road, Rosebank. Jack Barnett and Leslie Broer were appointed as architects and construction started in 1974. The Baxter Theatre was opened in 1977. In 1979, the Institute of Architects gave Barnett and Broer an Award of Merit for their design of the Baxter. Source: Origins of Names of Buildings at the University of Cape Town, Mr M. Musemwa (Department of History UCT, 1993). Baxter Theatre Centre. Degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa. William Duncan Baxter. 12 December 1940.Quinn, G. 1962. W. D. Baxter. UCT, Dec. 1908. Quinn, G. 1962. A theatre for Cape Town. In Vita Musica Vol. 1 (2). Archives: Baxter. http://www.uct.ac.za/about/intro/history/timeline/arts_culture/.

  • Beattie Building

    Named after Sir John Caruthers (Jock) Beattie in 1964. Carruthers Beattie attended St John's Boarding School in Workington for seven years, then spent a year at Moray House in Edinburgh before beginning his university education. He took the Preliminary Examinations of the Educational Institute of Scotland, passing English, history, geography, latin, arithmetic, algebra, euclid I II III, mechanics, logic, and natural philosophy. He was an undergraduate at the University of Edinburgh, matriculating in October 1885, specialising in mathematics and physics. He was the Principal and first Vice-Chancellor of UCT from 1918-1937, the warden of College House, (1911-1922), and Professor of Physics at SAC. (1897- 1917). Having worked on the effects of X-rays, ultraviolet light and the rays of uranium on the electrical conductivity of gases as well as applying wireless telegraphy technology during the Anglo-Boer War, Beattie had proven to be an excellent scholar before becoming principal and vice-chancellor. In the movement which began in 1904 to obtain a charter for a University of Cape Town Beattie took a leading part and, when the Acts were adopted in 1916 constituting a University of Cape Town, one of Stellenbosch and one of South Africa, he was appointed a member of the Commission to draw up the statutes for these Universities which were to begin on April 2, 1918. The donation left by Alfred Beit for the establishment of a university in Johannesburg became the catalyst for implementing Rhodes’ dream of seeing a university on the slope of the Cape mountains. After Beattie persuaded the Beit trustees to support the construction of a Cape Town university, building began, despite opposition from people in Johannesburg who wanted a campus there. Beattie became principal in 1917 and Vice- Chancellor in 1918. He was responsible for both the university campus on the mountain and the increase in student numbers, from approximately 600 in 1918 to 2200 in 1938. Beattie was a member of the Edinburgh Mathematical society, the South African Philosophical Society, and president of this society from 1905-1906. He was also elected to the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Source: Origins of Names of Buildings at the University of Cape Town, Mr M. Musemwa (Department of History UCT, 1993).UCT Monday Paper vol. 23.30. Baker, D. 1998. Wireless telegraphy during the anglo-boer war of 1899- 1902. Military History Journal. Vol. 11: 2. UCT Archives. http://www-history.mcs.st- and.ac.uk/Biographies/Beattie.html. Royal Society of Edinburgh yearbook 1947.

  • Bremner Building

    Named after Mary Frances Bremner in 1963, a teacher from Scotland, who settled in Cape Town. Bremner left her estate to the University which funded travel allowances for study and research. Naming a building after her was in honour of this bequest. Construction of the Bremner Building began in 1958 and the building was opened on 20 December 1963. 5 th October 1961 DWW/MLP. 480/61.Administrative archives Bremner bequest. Source: Origins of Names of Buildings at the University of Cape Town, Mr M. Musemwa (Department of History UCT, 1993). Archives Bremner. Cape Times.

  • Cambria House

    Original name of building

  • Centlivres Building

    Named after Albert van der Sandt Centlivres (1887- 1957) Chancellor of UCT, (1951-1966). He was a champion of the liberty of individuals and strove to protect the independence of universities. His relationship with UCT began when he entered SAC and quickly excelled, coming first in his matric examination. After his intermediate examinations he gained the Rhodes Scholarship and left for Oxford where he studied law. After working in Rhodesia and editing Juta’s Daily Reporter, he established his own practice. He became judge in the appellate division and in 1951 became Chief Justice. It was a year later that his involvement with UCT was re-established and he became Chancellor. Having worked to maintain Cape Town’s liberal political stance, he too worked to protect the independence of universities and the freedom of the individual, fighting race and class based legislation that he considered unjust during increasingly difficult political times. With the 1959 Extension of University Education Act coming into effect Centlivres, as chancellor, led UCT in protests, culminating in a march of staff and students in academic dress through the city. Source: Origins of Names of Buildings at the University of Cape Town, Mr M. Musemwa (Department of History UCT, 1993). South African Law Journal 1966 (83) 387 and 1935 (52) . Featherman, Krislov and Hall. 2010. The next 25 years : Affirmative action in higher education in the US and South Africa. Featherman, Krislov and Hall (2010).

  • Chemical Engineering Building

  • Chris Barnard Building

    Chris Barnard made medical history on 3 December 1967, when he and his medical team at Groote Schuur Hospital transplanted Denise Darvall’s heart into Louis Washkansky. It was this transplant that was to send him on a trajectory that few medical pioneers were to experience. He captured the imagination and interest of the public worldwide: Life, Time and Newsweek immediately tracked the story. In a press release shortly after the news of his death broke, Groote Schuur Hospital said: "GSH and our partner, the UCT Health Sciences Faculty, have produced many exceptional leaders in all disciplines of medical science. One of the most remarkable has been Professor Chris Barnard". Chris Barnard came from humble beginnings as a missionary’s son in Beaufort West. It is said that his family’s poverty inspired him to enrol at UCT to become a doctor. He obtained his MBChB in 1946, his MD in 1953 and his MMed in 1954. He also held a Master of Surgery Degree and a PhD from the University of Minneapolis, Minnesota. In 1960 he was awarded the Ernest Oppenheimer Memorial Trust Bursary. He established open-heart surgery at GSH as a routine surgical procedure and was well known for his intelligence and outstanding surgical skills. His results, at the Red Cross Children’s Hospital, for correcting congenital disorders of the heart were remarkable. In the course of his work, he became famous as a practical surgeon and teacher. He inspired and taught many surgeons from all over the world. He left a legacy of skills and techniques for helping those with heart disease. Barnard held the Chair of Cardiothoracic Surgery until 1983, when severe arthritis forced his early retirement. He spent his years in retirement providing international advice on cardiac matters, research and maintaining the Austrian-based Chris Barnard Foundation for children. He wrote several books, including his autobiographical ‘One Life’ and his last, ‘Fifty Ways to a Healthy Heart’, which was published in 1998. Source: Monday Paper.

  • Chris Hani Building

    Lecture theatre for the Science departments. Named after Chris Hani in recognition of the fact that this was the venue of last public address before his assassination.

  • d-school

  • Environmental & Geographical Sciences Building

    Previously named the Shell Building when it was opened in 18 September 1991 and named in recognition of Shell's long-standing partnership in education with UCT. As this partnership is no longer active, the building is named after the department it houses. Source: Origins of Names of Buildings at the University of Cape Town, Mr M. Musemwa (Department of History UCT, 1993).

  • Falmouth Building

    Named after the road on which the building resides.

  • Fuller Hall

    Named after Maria Emmeline Fuller (1867-1957) who, in 1907, established the second hostel for women students at SAC (the first was opened in 1905). Fuller was member of the SAC/UCT Council. She was described as a "doughty fighter for the rights of women, who succeeded in persuading the council to pay its women lecturers at the same rate as men", making UCT the only university in the country with such a scheme at the time. She was one of the class of the first women students at UCT in 1886/7 in which she studied chemistry and was awarded a matric and teacher’s certificate. Fuller was a member of the provisional committee overseeing the construction of the Groote Schuur campus and she was also one of only two women on the newly appointed University Council. She was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws in 1950 in recognition of her pioneering work in the cause for women at UCT and the women's residence was named in her honour. Fuller Hall was opened in 1928 but was only named as such in 1950. Origins of Names of Buildings at the University of Cape Town, Mr M. Musemwa (Department of History UCT, 1993). Monday Paper. Vol. 29. 20. 8 December 2010.http://www.uct.ac.za/about/intro/history/timeline/uct_struggle/.

  • G.H. Menzies Building

    Named after George Hamilton Menzies (1912-1976) who was Professor of Land Surveying from 1946 to 1976 and former Dean of the Faculty of Engineering. He founded the Photogrammetric Society of South Africa and was its president for 14 years. He was one of the first 3 people to graduate in land surveying. He joined UCT as a lecturer in 1935 and became the first professor of land surveying in South Africa. After a long involvement with UCT, Menzies was elected Dean of Engineering in 1950 and was warden of Driekoppen Hall and later Smuts Hall. He was also a member of the University Senate and trained close to 300 hundred students in land surveying. Source: Origins of Names of Buildings at the University of Cape Town, Mr M. Musemwa (Department of History UCT, 1993). The photogrammetric record 1977. Vol 9: issue 50. Pp317-321.

  • Geological Sciences Building

    Houses the Department of Geological Sciences.

  • Glenara

    Glenara was bought by the university on 15 December 1924 for £8500 as an economic measure to avoid the cost of erecting new buildings. This carried the university estate down to the Main Road in Rosebank. Glenara is used as the official residence of the vice-chancellor. The house stands on land that was part of one of the Cape's oldest farms - Hollandsche Tuin - granted by van Riebeek in 1657. In 1881, part of the land was sold to L.A. Vincent, a merchant, who chose the name Glenara. The architect responsible for designing the house was A. W. Ackerman (who designed Cape Town's Central Station), and building costed £6000. In 1898 the property was sold to Stephen Trill before being purchased by UCT. Source: Origins of Names of Buildings at the University of Cape Town, Mr M. Musemwa (Department of History UCT, 1993). SAhistory.org.za. Saunders, S. 2000. Vice-Chancellor on a tightrope: A personal account of climatic years in South Africa. Cape Town: David Philip Publishers.

  • Graca Machel Hall

    Graca Machel was born in 1945. In 1975, she married Samora Machel, first president of newly independent Mozambique, and had two children. She studied Germanic languages at the University of Lisbon until 1972. When Frelimo formed an independent government in 1975, Machel became a member of Frelimo's Central Committee and the Minister of Education and Culture, the same year in which she married Samora Machel. As Minister for Education until 1989, she worked to implement Frelimo's goal of universal education for all Mozambicans and increased the number of children in schools from 400 000 to 1.5 million. In recognition of the particular devastation of war on children, Machel became Chairperson of the National Organization of Children of Mozambique, an organization that places orphans in village homes while reinforcing the role of the family and community in the healing process. She was widowed when President Machel was killed in a plane crash in 1986. Machel is recognized for her dedication to educating the people of Mozambique, and for her leadership in organizations devoted to the children of her country. She was a major force in improving literacy and schooling in Mozambique and has spoken of the needs and rights of children, families and community, from platforms all over the world. In the decade from 1975-1985, the number of students enrolled in primary and secondary schools in Mozambique rose from about 40 percent of all school-aged children to over 90 percent for males and 75 percent for females. Machel has also participated in international fora, as a delegate to the 1988 UNICEF conference in Harare, Zimbabwe, and as the President of the National Commission of UNESCO in Mozambique. In addition to her many contributions, Machel also served on the international steering committee of the World Conference on Education for All, held in 1990. The new regime of President Chissano of Mozambique brought Machel many opportunities to provide community service in education. One of her most successful efforts started in 1990, when she and a group of friends founded the Foundation for Community Development, an organization offering technical help and funds to communities to build local schools and clinics. She was elected Chancellor of the University of Cape Town in 1999 for a ten-year term of office. She holds honorary doctorates from UCT, UWC, RAU and the University of Essex. Source: Council EXCO minutes 2 November 2005.

  • Gsb Block B & D

    The home for the Graduate School of Business (GSB) since 1992 when it moved from Protem in Rosebank to Breakwater. The Breakwater campus is close to Cape Town's Victoria and Alfred Waterfront development in the oldest part of the city's docklands. Prior to this occupation, the buildings originally served as a prison known as the Breakwater Prison. The Breakwater Prison was built in 1901 to accommodate male "European" convicts (1911-1926) from the much older Breakwater prison. From 1926-1989 it was a labour hostel for black dockworkers. Source: Origins of Names of Buildings at the University of Cape Town, Mr M. Musemwa (Department of History UCT, 1993). Deacon, H. 1989. A history of the Breakwater Prison 1859-1905. Honours thesis. UCT.

  • H.W. Pearson Building

    Named after Professor Harold Welch Pearson. He was the first Harry Bolus Professor of Botany and founder of the National Botanic Gardens of Kirstenbosch. He was assistant curator of the Cambridge herbarium and later worked at Kew before moving to South Africa. In South Africa, he published extensively, using his skills to research the largely un-studied Cape Flora and initiated the practice of taking fieldtrips. Realizing that Pearson's work and influence extended far beyond the ranks of his professional colleagues and for his establishing the Kirstenbosch Gardens, the University Council decided to have two Chairs of Botany, the Harry Bolus Chair, which was to remain: its occupant was to be responsible for the teaching in the Botany Department. The new Chair, founded in memory of Pearson, was to be known as the Harold Pearson Chair of Botany. Source: Origins of Names of Buildings at the University of Cape Town, Mr M. Musemwa (Department of History UCT, 1993).Chamberlin, C. 1917. Henry Harold Welch Pearson, Botanical Gazette. Vol. 63: 2. Phillips, H. 1993. The University of Cape Town 1918-1948: The formative years. Cape Town: UCT Press.

  • Harry Oppenheimer Institute

    Harry Frederick Oppenheimer (1908 – 2000), was a prominent South African businessman. In 2004 he was voted 60th in SABC 3's Great South Africans and was Chancellor of the University of Cape Town from 1967 to 1996. The son of Ernest Oppenheimer (who was to found Anglo American Corporation, and become chairman of De Beers Consolidated Mines), Harry was born into an assimilated Jewish family of German origins in Kimberley, the original centre for diamond mining in South Africa, and lived most of his life in Johannesburg. After completing his primary schooling in Johannesburg, he attended. Charterhouse School in England, before going on to study at Christ Church, Oxford University, graduating in 1931 in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. Harry Oppenheimer was the chairman of Anglo American Corporation for a quarter of a century and chairman of De Beers Consolidated Mines for 27 years until he retired from those positions in 1982 and 1984 respectively. He was Member of Parliament for Kimberley (1948 to 1957) and became the opposition spokesman for economics, finance and constitutional affairs. His opposition to apartheid was well known as were his philanthropy and business acumen. In the 1970s and 1980s, he financed the anti- apartheid Progressive Federal Party, now the Democratic Alliance. Some argue that he could have done more to end the regime, but within his sphere of influence he is said to have done more than most of his fellow-businessmen, and the University honours him as both Chancellor and activist. Brenthurst.org.za. The telegraph - obituaries - 21 August 2000

  • Hiddingh Hall

    Opened in 1911 and named after W.M. Hiddingh. He bequeathed £15 514 to the South African college to be applied towards the erection of a detached building in the college grounds at the top of the Government Gardens with suitable rooms for the use of the students of the South African College. The building was completed in August 1911. Source: Origins of Names of Buildings at the University of Cape Town, Mr M. Musemwa (Department of History UCT, 1993).UCT Libraries update October 2004. Vol. 3:1.

  • Hoerikwaggo

    Hoerikwaggo meaning "sea mountain", the San name for Table Mountain. The name was thought to be appropriate and relevant given the building's proximity to the mountain, and the fact that the San were the first inhabitants in the Western Cape. It responds too, to the NOBC's recommendation to consider an indigenous language with links to the Western Cape. Several suggested names had reflected the physical location of the building on the side of the Table Mountain range and Hoerikwaggo may be the earliest name for Table Mountain. (Robert Gordon 1779; John Barrows 1797; cited by Nienaber and Raper 1977: 560) . Source: Council EXCO minutes 7 July 2005.

  • ICTS On Main

    The building houses the ICTS Department.

  • Immelman Building

    Named after Rene-Ferdinand Malan Immelman (1905-1982), university librarian and Director of the School of Librarianship from 1940 to 1970. He began at UCT as a teacher and later went on to read German for his MA. He was a pioneer in the field of South African Librarianship and an impeccable researcher of Cape local history. He contributed to the library collection by engaging donors and initiating the position of Director of the School of Librarianship. In this position he established exchange programmes with other universities, recognising that the UCT budget would not allow for the kind of collections required. Source: Schaefer, A. Publish and be damned. Philobiblon: Journal of the society of bibliophiles in Cape Town. Vol. 3: 34.

  • Irma Stern Museum

    The house, turned museum of artist Irma Stern. Stern was born in Germany but lived in Cape Town for most of her life, after training at the Weimer Academy. She is associated with the German Expressionist movement and while her work was initially derided in South Africa, for not conforming to the Realist movement of the time, she later received local and international recognition. The museum is governed by the Trustees of the Irma Stern Estate and the University of Cape Town. Irma Stern Museum

  • Isaac Albow Building

    Houses the UCT Child Guidance Clinic that was opened and named after Isaac Albow in recognition of his donation which made it possible to make substantial extensions to the Clinic. Albow was a well- known businessman, a city councillor for 30 years, director of several companies and founder of the Maitland and Keurboom Sports Clubs. In the terms of his will, UCT was given R200 000 for the establishment of a Chair of Rheumatology in 1968. Further to this, the postgraduate Albow Scholarship was founded in 1972 in terms of the will of Phillip (Isaac's brother) and Isaac Albow who bequeathed the sum of R6 736 to the University. The scholarship was important in its time as it was open to students of all races, with R4491.20 allotted specifically to 'coloured' students and a further R7859.60 to the City of Cape Town for more scholarships. Source: Origins of Names Buildings at the University of Cape Town, Mr M. Musemwa (Department of History UCT, 1993). Albow Scholarship, Administrative Archives - correspondence between L Swartz and R Dyssell. Correspondence between C Order and R Luyt 17 May 1968 (Admin archives 6.2.1 (59)).

  • Ivan Toms Building

    Ivan Tom’s name remains synonymous with activism and leadership in the field of health care. He was described by the previous vice-chancellor, Njabulo Ndebele, as “a true son of UCT” and as an “outstanding South African, a fearless activist, colleague and friend”. Ndebele went on to say: “Ivan Toms will long be remembered for his fierce opposition to apartheid and conscriptions, as well as for his tenacious campaigning for gay and lesbian rights. His sense of humility and genuine empathy, combined with a deep understanding of the myriad issues that affect health and well-being have made a lasting impact on healthcare in the region”. Toms trained as a medical doctor, receiving his degree in 1976 before he served as director of UCT’s Student Health and Welfare Centre Organisation between 1993 and 1996. Against conscription, he started the End Conscription Campaign in 1983 and went on a hunger strike in 1985 in protest to the government's decision to bulldoze Crossroads. In 1989 he was sentenced to 21 months of jail, serving 9, for refusing to accept military call-up. He went on to become the Director of Health for the City of Cape Town. He was instrumental in setting up the Students’ HIV/AIDS resistance programme, known as SHARP (the first university-run HIV/AIDS peer-education programme in South Africa). Mail and Guardian 25 March 2008. The Guardian, David Beresford, Thursday 10 April 2008.

  • J.S. Marais Building

  • J.W. Jagger Building

    Named after John William Jagger (1859-1930), former Minister of Railways, a leading businessman in Cape Town, and a generous benefactor to the UCT main library. Born in 1859, he immigrated to South Africa in 1883 where he began an imports business that was later expanded with the discovery of gold. Jagger eventually began building his own factories, to manufacture goods within South Africa. This allowed him to pursue his interest in promoting and funding various educational initiatives. He gave £57 000 to the university during his lifetime. He also formed a trust in his will from which a further £107 500 was left to the university. He was for many years chairman of UCT’s finance committee. In terms of his will, the J.W. Jagger Scholarships were founded in 1928 for both undergraduate and postgraduate students. Noted for his interest in education, Jagger sat on the Cape School Board for several years, donated money to schools for books and later made grants to UCT and sat on various university boards. Having been awarded an honorary degree of LL.D from UCT, he declined the title, preferring to remain simply “Mr Jagger”. Source: Origins of Names of Buildings at the University of Cape Town, Mr M. Musemwa (Department of History UCT, 1993). Baxter, W. 1958. The bulletin: the magazine for profitable retailing. Archivalplatform.org

  • Kopano Residence

    Previously known as Driekoppen (Driekoppen came from '3 heads' which was the result of three runaway slaves murdering the family of the owner of the Welgelegen farm, save for one child, who was hidden in an oven by a nurse. These slaves were later apprehended, whereupon they were hung, drawn and quartered and their heads were impaled outside the tavern as a warning to other slaves). Occupation officially took place in September 1964 however, the residence was created for students returning from war, erected in 1945 near Driekoppen Inn on De Waal Drive, which the Government gave to UCT as a "temporary" students residence for about 300 male ex-servicemen. They were dismayed by the similarities between the accommodation that they were given and the kind of quarters at the war front of which they did not want to be reminded. It has been said "the austere bungalows surrounded by barren and dusty earth and barbed wire fencing, took their minds back to infamous prisoner-of -war camps in Germany". As a result, the residence earned itself the name Belsen, a concentration camp in Germany, a name that stuck, despite objections by UCT authorities. Due to public outcry, the name was changed from Belsen to Driekoppen and later to Kopano, meaning unity. Source: Origins of Names of Buildings at the University of Cape Town, Mr M. Musemwa (Department of History UCT, 1993). Miles, A. History of Rhodes Avenue.

  • Kramer Building

    Named after Wilfred and Jules Kramer. Wilfred was a Cape Town businessman and Jules a pianist and singer. They left a bequest of R700 000 for the creation of a freestanding Law School Building and the development of the law library. R15 000 was secured for the purchase of books and periodicals as a supplement to the Law School's annual grant. Out of this bequest, the Wilfred Kramer Law Scholarship and Grants were founded in 1972. The bequest provides postgraduate scholarships, one for Law and the other for Music. Source: UCT Law Update. January 2006.

  • Masingene Building

    asingene - isiXhosa for ‘Let’s get in’/ ‘Come in’. The building houses the Admissions Office.

  • Mathematics Building

  • Medical Library

  • Meulenhof Building

    The Building houses offices and shops on the ground floor, as well as the Administrative Archives, Properties and Services Department and student flats on the upper floors. Meulenhof is a direct translation of the previous name (Mill Court), but also an evocative common and poetic farm name.

  • Michaelis Building

    Named after Sir Maximillian Michaelis (1852- 1932) who was born in Eisfeld, Saxe-Meiningen, now in, Germany. He made a financial contribution of £20000 to the university. In 1923 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws by UCT. Born in Germany in 1852, Michaelis arrived in South Africa in 1876 where he soon joined the gold rush. Through friendships forged during this period, he went on to restructure the Cape Diamond Company and became manager of the Central Mining and Investment Corporation in Johannesburg. He later left for London but with the outbreak of World War I and anti-German sentiments, he returned to South Africa under the advisement of General Smuts. Working in South Africa again, in 1913, he presented the Union with a collection of Dutch and Flemish old masters, which later formed the Michaelis Collection. In accordance with his interest in the arts, he endowed the Chair of Fine Arts at UCT in 1920 and supported numerous sholarships pertaining to the Arts. Source: Origins of Names of Buildings at the University of Cape Town, Mr M. Musemwa (Department of History UCT, 1993. UCT Archives: Design

  • Neville Alexander Building

    Formerly named the School of Humanities Building and the Humanities Building. Neville Alexander was born on 22 October 1936 in Cradock, Eastern Cape. He spent six years at the University of Cape Town obtaining a BA in German and History in 1955 and late completed an Honours and a MA in German. He obtained his PhD from the University of Tübingen in 1961. Alexander was a member of the Cape Peninsula Students' Union and a member of the African Peoples Democratic Union of Southern Africa. In 1964, he was convicted of conspiracy to commit sabotage and was imprisoned on Robben Island from 1964–1974. After being released Alexander did pioneering work in the field of language policy and planning in South Africa from the early 1980s via organisations such as the Project for the Study of Alternative Education in South Africa (PRAESA). He founded and was Director of PRAESA from 1992 until the end of 2011 and a member of the Interim Governing Board of the African Academy of Languages. His most recent work focused on the tension between multilingualism and the hegemony of English in the public sphere. Alexander received the Linguapax Prize for 2008. He received the Order of the Disa, a provincial honour, granted to him for his long commitment to socio-political issues and education. Alexander was a giant intellect who chose principle over power and reason and reflection over empty sloganeering. Alexander had devoted more than twenty years of his professional life to defend and preserve multilingualism in the post-apartheid South Africa and remains one of the major advocates of linguistic diversity. Neville Alexander was a radical participant in the making of South African history.

  • New College of Music and Library

    Houses the College of Music. Previously the home of Henry Struben and part of Strubenholm estate.

  • New Engineering Building

  • New Lecture Theatre

  • Obz Square

    A student residence on Main Road, Observatory. Named after the popular diminutive for the suburb in which the residence is located.

  • Old Admin Building

    Used to house the administration department of UCT.

  • Old Groote Schuur Hospital

    Original building in which the hospital was housed. The original name of the building before it was bought by UCT. Groote Schuur, meaning ‘Big Barn’ was established in 1657 by the Dutch East India Company. Tasked with growing fruit and vegetables for sailors on board VOC ships, van Riebeek moved his crops south, away from the mountain, as the south Easter was destroying crops. This move was a success and soon storage was required for harvests. A granary was built and soon another two followed suit and despite ‘De Onder Schuur’s’ and ‘De Kleine Schuur’s’ development, ‘De Schuur’ remained the primary granary. After ownerships by Hendrik Herholdt, Nicholas Gulde and Johannes Baumgardt, Willem van Rijneveld, Chief Justice of the Cape purchased the property but soon committed suicide. His brother-in-law, David Anosi, felt it necessary to keep the property in the family and bought it - naming it De Groote Schuur. Later known as The Grange, when Cecil Rhodes took ownership, the name Groote Schuur was restored. The hospital was built on the estate after which it is named. Source: Origins of Names of Buildings at the University of Cape Town, Mr M. Musemwa (Department of History UCT, 1993). Simons, P 1996. Groote Schuur: Great granary to stately home. Cape Town: Fernwood Press. Fransen, H. 2004. The old buildings of the Cape. Johannesburg: Jonathan Ball publishers.

  • Old Medical School Building

    Located on Hiddingh Campus, the university's first campus. The building housed the original medical school before moving to the Groote Schuur location.

  • Otto Beit Building

    Otto Beit was born in Germany and came to South Africa during the gold rush. He returned to England after focussing on commerce to pursue his interests in the arts and sciences. There and in South Africa he donated funds to various institutions, also creating funds. He was director of Rhodesia Railways, a member of the Governing Body of Imperial College from 1912-1930, Trustee of the Rhodes Trust, and Beit Railway Trust for Rhodesia. He founded Beit Memorial Trust for Medical Research, established the Beit Fellowship at Imperial College in memory of his brother Alfred and founded the Beit Fellowships for Scientific Research at Imperial College. He was also a member of the Governing Body from 1912 and a founding member of the Royal Institute of International Affairs. Upon returning to South Africa, he made donations to UCT and was present at the first day construction of the Groote Schuur campus. He was awarded an honorary LLD by UCT in thanks for his financial contributions and dedication to the university. A building was also named in his honour. Source: Phillips, H.1993. The university of Cape Town 1918-1948. Cape Town: UCT press. http://www.beittrust.org.uk/History.htm.

  • P.D. Hahn Building

    Named after Paul Daniel Hahn (1849-1918) who was born in South West Africa and educated at Halle, London and Edinburgh. He was appointed Jamieson Professor of Experimental Physics and Practical Chemistry in 1876 and as Professor of Chemistry in 1893, a Chair he retained until his death in 1918. A teacher at heart, he concerned himself with the personal and moral well being of all the students who passed through his department; it was at Hahn's request and perseverance that women be admitted to study chemistry. In 1875, he was elected a member of the first Council of the University of the Cape of Good Hope. He remained professor of Chemistry and a member of Council until his death. His services to the College and to the cause of science in South Africa were many. For forty-two years he held with distinction the Professorship of Chemistry and had been largely instrumental in the development of the College in all other branches of science. In mining, engineering, medicine, and agriculture he had shown a keen interest and, both as Professor at College and as member of council at the old university, had done much to promote systematic study in these directions. He was noted as an admirable and inspiring teacher. His genial old world courtesy and dignity made him both loved and respected by his colleagues and all who knew him. Source : Ritchie, W. The History of the South African College 1829 – 1918, II, Cape Town, 1918 . Pages 672 –3. To all members of Senate, 16/11/1973: Registrar

  • R.W. James Building

    Named after Reginald William James (1891-1964), Professor of Physics (1937-1956). He acted as Principal and Vice- Chancellor during the absence of T.B. Davie in 1953 and 1955 and after Davie's death, from 1956-1957. James came to UCT in 1937 already known for producing excellent work in X- ray crystallography. This field soon became the focus in the physics department and James earned a reputation as a brilliant teacher. His achievements as both researcher and teacher paved the way for his becoming Dean of Science in 1948 and in the mid-1950s he became acting vice- chancellor. He focussed heavily on postgraduate research and investigative physics, promoting research and the reputation of the department. This, coupled with his teaching skills which were instrumental in producing three Nobel prize winners (Theiler, Cormack and Klug), and six physics professors, make him an important figure in UCT’s history. The Physics Department became, and remains, one of world renown. Source: Origins of Names of Buildings at the University of Cape Town, Mr M. Musemwa (Department of History UCT, 1993). Phillips, H. 1993.The University of Cape Town 1918-48, the formative years. Cape Town: UCT Press.

  • Rachel Bloch House

    Houses the Jewish Studies Library in the Kaplan Centre and was opened in 1989. The house was named after Jessie Kaplan's mother, Rachel Bloch (1882-1954) who valued Jewish learning. Although she was very poor, she saved from the little money she had and managed to buy the Torah, for the Parow Synagogue. This Torah is now in the Kaplan Centre. Source: Origins of Names of Buildings at the University of Cape Town, Mr M. Musemwa (Department of History UCT, 1993). Shian, M. and Blumberg, J. 2005. The first 25 years: The Isaac and Jessie Kaplan Centre for Jewish Studies and Research. UCT: Kaplan Kushlick Foundation. pp. 19-20.

  • Red Cross War Memorial Childrens Hospital Main Building

  • Research & Innovation House

    Houses the Department of Research and Innovation.

  • Robert Leslie Social Science Building

    Named after the first Professor of Economics, founder and first Dean of the Faculty of Commerce. Robert Leslie was appointed to the Jagger Chair of Economics in 1914 and retained the chair until his retirement in 1949. Leslie became the first Professor of Economics at SAC in 1914. He campaigned for the establishment of a faculty of commerce and by 1920, it had been approved. The Cape Society of Auditors contributed £120 per year for the foundation of a Chair of Accounting, and with other donations, Leslie became the first Dean of Commerce, although still part of the Faculty of Arts. With a focus on the practical, Leslie was of the opinion that pure theory could never replace “common sense” and he worked for the establishment of the Faculty of Commerce. Staff would lecture after hours as they were all in practice. This was met with positive responses as many people in practice found students taking their board examinations ill prepared. Thus, 1921 saw the creation of the Faculty of Commerce and by 1922, the Cape Society of Accountants and Auditors was encouraging articled clerks to register for the B. Com. degree. Despite increased student numbers, only one additional lecturer was appointed, focussing like Leslie, on South African economics topics. While the faculty was still small at this time, it soon grew, requiring a building dedicated to commerce, named after Robert Leslie. Source: Origins of Names of Buildings at the University of Cape Town, Mr M. Musemwa (Department of History UCT, 1993). Phillips, H. 1993. The University of Cape Town 1918-1948. Cape Town: UCT Press.

  • Snape Lecture Theatre Building

    Named after Alfred Ernest Snape who in 1910, at the age of 29, was appointed to the Cape Town Corporation Chair of Civil Engineering. He trained at Manchester University, his university training being unusual for the time, when most engineers were practically trained. He felt that engineering was about taking intellectual conceptions and translating them into practical reality. This understanding was imparted to the department as a whole, resulting in the first two years of undergraduate training being science based with the final year requiring both design and a practically based theses. Snape was president of the Cape Society of Engineers and was one of the founders of the Town Planning Association. He served as the Corporation Professor until his death in 1946. His teaching and technical ability laid the foundation for, and established, future professional engineering training in South Africa. Source: Origins of Names of Buildings at the University of Cape Town, Mr M. Musemwa (Department of History UCT, 1993). Artefacts.co.za. Phillips, H. 1993. The University of Cape Town 1918-1948: The formative years. Cape Town: UCT Press.

  • Sports Science Institute

    Building used for the Department of Sports Medicine.

  • The School of Economics Building

    Houses the School of Economics.

  • Tugwell Hall

    Opened in 1974 and named after the late Anna Maria Tugwell nee Krige, Warden of the University's first women's residence at Groote Schuur, wife of the SAC Registrar. Krige, 1876-1966, was educated at the South African College and became a teacher. In 1913 she married A.D.R. Tugwell, Registrar of the South African College. The next year Mrs Tugwell became Head of the Arthur's Seat Women’s Hostel of the South African College, and from 1917-1928 she was head of the Hope Mills Women’s Hostel of the South African College and University of Cape Town. From 1928 to the end of 1934 she was Head of the New Women’s Residence on the Rondebosch campus which was later renamed Fuller Hall. Source: To all members of Senate 16/11/1973 – Registrar.

  • Upper Campus Residence

    Originally named after Field Marshall Jan C. Smuts in 1950 to commemorate his tenure as Chancellor of UCT (1937-1950). It was opened in 1928 (together with the Women's Residence renamed Fuller hall in 1950) and was known at that time as Men's Residence. Smuts was Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa. He led commandos in the second Boer War and led South African armies in occupying German South West Africa during World War I where he was instrumental in the creation of the Royal Air Force (RAF). Trained in Law, although he originally studied the Sciences and Arts, Smuts became state attorney in Pretoria after the war. Here, he and Louis Botha formed the Het Volk Party. By 1907, he was appointed Minister of Education and colonial secretary in the Botha government in the Transvaal Colony. Smuts played an important role in the drafting of the constitution of the League of Nations, forerunner of the United Nations. In 1919, he attended the Paris Peace Conference with Botha and, following Botha's death in August, became Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa. In 1921, he merged the Union Party and the South African Party. Smuts lost the next election in 1924 to J.B.M. Hertzog and his National Party. During his time as the political opposition, Smuts made some important contributions to the field of science in his book Holism and Evolution (1926). In 1933, Smuts became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice under Hertzog. Their coalition led to the formation of the United Party in 1934. In 1939, Hertzog and Smuts differed over the war issue and on Hertzog’s defeat in parliament on the motion to remain neutral during the war, Smuts took over as Premier. The general election of May 1948, won by the Herenigde National Party largely supported by the Afrikaner community, decided the future policy of South Africa for the next fifty years. After the election Smuts resigned and Dr. D.F. Malan took over the government. Despite his not always being a popular leader, Smuts was nonetheless a major one and as Chancellor of UCT, it was deemed appropriate naming the new residence after him. Source: Origins of Names of Buildings at the University of Cape Town, Mr M. Musemwa (Department of History UCT, 1993).Cameron, Trewhella. 1994. Jan Smuts: An Illustrated Biography. Crafford, F.S. 1943. Jan Smuts: A Biography. Kessinger Publishing. http://www.sahistory.org.za/people/general-jan-christiaan-smut.

  • Varietas Residence

    The original name of the building before it was bought by UCT. Land was granted to the first owner, Claas Vechtman in 1667. It was given the name Varietas because it adjoined Welgelegen and Altona - meaning the variety “between Rondebosch and Windberg”. Source: Archives BC260, Immelman, R. Zorgvliet and Eksteen.

  • Welgelegen

    A 17th century house named after the Welgelegen Estate (meaning 'well situated'). Welgelegen came into existence with a grant to Stevenz Jan Botma in 1657. He owned this property until 1703 when his son-in-law, Johannes Heufke, took it over. In January 1891, Welgelegen was acquired by Cecil John Rhodes from S.J. Wilks. UCT acquired Welgelegen from the State where it was to be used as a university guest house. It was declared a National Monument in 1980. It currently houses the offices of the Public Relations Department. Source: Origins of Names of Buildings at the University of Cape Town, Mr M. Musemwa (Department of History UCT, 1993). Miles, A. A history of Rhodes Avenue Mowbray (unpublished).

  • Wolfson Pavillion

    The Wolfson Foundation is a UK based charity that was established in 1955 by Sir Isaac and Lady Wolfson, and their son Leonard (the Foundation’s Chairman from 1972 until his death in 2010). The Foundation aims to support excellence through the funding of capital infrastructure in the fields of science, medicine, health, education, the arts and humanities. By the end of 2010 over £600 million had been awarded in grants for over 8,000 projects from the foundation. Trustees are a balance of academics and Wolfson family members. The Wolfson Foundation has given grants totalling £2,101,170 to UCT (over R25 million) for a computer laboratory, medical and science/technology libraries, the Wolfson Pavilion at the IIDMM, undergraduate and postgraduate chemistry laboratories, a scanning electron microscope and, most recently, an award of £550 000 towards the new residence building. This donation was designated to fund a 22 room suite of rooms for medical students, on the fourth floor of the residence. Dent, D. and Perez, G. 2012. The place and the person: Named buildings, rooms and places on the campus of the Faculty of Health Science, University of Cape Town. South African Medical Journal. Vol. 102: 6.

  • Wolmunster

    Formerly a residential hotel. The house was named after Wolmunster, in the Moselle region near the French and German border. Spelled ‘Valmunster’ in French, the name means Church of the Valley. The name was given by William Porter, the father of liberalism in the Cape, attorney-general (and chairman of Council), who lived there from 1852-1875. Source: Adele Keen 1991: Under Devil’s Peak, unpublished manuscript, Archives BC260, Immelman, R. Zorgvliet and Eksteen. Walker, E. 1929. The SACS and the University of Cape Town: 1829-1929. Cape Town: UCT.