Cape Town - The University of the Western Cape (UWC) has honoured its former and first rector and vice-chancellor of colour, Professor Richard Ernest van der Ross, with a bust located at its Faculty of Education building.
The bust memorialising Van der Ross, warmly referred to as “Dickie”, was unveiled yesterday.
Van der Ross was appointed as the rector and vice-chancellor in 1975, becoming the first person of colour to occupy the position, and would oversee the university’s transition from being a college of the University of South Africa to a fully autonomous university.
Other notable roles held by him included president of the Labour Party of South Africa, the first editor of the newspaper, principal of a teacher training school, and assistant education planner in the Department of Coloured Affairs.
A writer, activist and educator, Van der Ross was born on November 17, 1921 in Plumstead and died on December 13, 2017.
During apartheid, many UWC students could not afford to go home during the holidays and would hide at residences on campus. At the time, Van der Ross was well aware of this and would overlook it, cognisant of the struggles of the students at the time.
One of the students was Professor Tyrone Pretorius, the university’s current rector and vice-chancellor.
“I remember, as a student, many of us could not afford to travel home during the holidays and had to squat in our residences.
“Prof van der Ross knew about this but did not have us removed.
“Behind his intimidating presence and stern face was a passionate man who knew the struggle of poor students and understood where we came from,” Pretorius said.
A resource centre in the Faculty of Education building will also be named after Van der Ross.
Van der Ross’s son Ben and daughter Freda Brock were in attendance at the unveiling ceremony.
“Our dad would’ve been most honoured by this recognition. He was extremely honoured to have served as rector of UWC. Of all his achievements, this was I think the cherry on top,” Brock said when addressing attendees.
“The inscription on the bust refers to him as a teacher, this is how he wished to be remembered.
“To him, teaching was the most noble profession of all and so I want to say, this is really a tribute to all teachers and I can say with confidence that he would’ve said that himself, he would’ve saluted teachers today.”
Van der Ross had applied for a teaching post at the Education Department during the 1960s, but was turned down for the position.
His daughter said the bust, located at the department, was therefore appropriate and that her father would’ve been smiling thinking of this.
“What was important to him was people – he looked beyond jargon and rhetoric.”
Cape Argus