Photo by Lockley 1927
Hendrik Bernardus Thom was born on 13 December 1905 in Jamestown and grew up in Burgersdorp. He was also known as Quintus or Quintie Thom, because he was the fifth Hendrik Bernardus of the Thom family.
He matriculated at Burgersdorp High School and studied at the Universities of Stellenbosch ( BA History and Dutch, cum laude, 1926 and MA History, cum laude, 1928). He continued his studies in Germany at the Friedrich Wilhelms Universität in Berlin (1928-1929), at the Sorbonne in Paris (1930)
and in Amsterdam, researching his doctoral thesis, which he completed on his
return to Stellenbosch (PhD, Title of thesis: Die geskiedenis van die skaapboerdery in Suid-Afrika , 1930) .
1931: Lecturer of History at the University of Stellenbosch. 1935: Senior
lecturer
1937: professor
From 1954 H. B. Thom was Rector of the University of Stellenbosch until his
retirement in 1969. In 1983 he was voted Chancellor.
| He was a member of : Archives Commission (Argiefkommissie) and chairman 1950 - 1955 the Historical Monuments Comission (Historiese Monumentekommissie, now Raad vir Nasionale Gedenkwaardighede) , 1948 -1954 Van Riebeeck-Vereniging Simon van der Stel Foundation Stellenbosch Museum and of its Board of Trustees, 1962 - 1968 Honorary memberships: Nederlandse Koninklijke Akademie voor Wetenschappen 1952 die Maatschappij der Nederlandse Letterkunde te Leiden die Linschoten Vereniging The Hakluyt Society Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns 1981 Suid-Afrikaanse Historiese Vereniging For 18 years he was chairman of the FAK (Federasie van Afrikaanse Kultuurvereniginge) and he was a sought after speaker. |  (Photo of the painting found on Die Matie Special edition in honour of H B Thom, 29 August 1969) See also Artist's portraits of famous Stellenbosch Authors |
H.B. Thom enjoyed tennis, fishing and photography. He was married to Maria du Toit in 1934. They had no children. He died on 4 November 1983.
Contributed to: Geskiedenis van Suid-Afrika (editors: Van der Walt, Wiid en Geyer), Suid-Afrikaanse Bibliografiese Woordeboek and Argief-jaarboek
Member of the editorial staff of Nederlandse tydskrif Bijdragen voor de Geschiedenis der Nederlanden
www.StellenboschWriters.com © Rosemarie Breuer
Books