Witwatersrand University
The University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) is a leading South African university situated in Johannesburg.
During part of the apartheid era it only allowed white students, although several notable black anti-apartheid leaders graduated from the university in the 1950s, and it again desegregated in the last few years of the apartheid era.
The university was sometimes scathingly referred to as "Moscow on the Hill" because of its anti-Apartheid campaigns and left-wing political affiliations.
It is the home of the Witwatersrand University Press, one of Africa's leading academic publishers. It is the oldest and largest University Press in Africa.
Chronology
- 1896 South African School of Mines established in Kimberley
- 1904 Transferred to Johannesburg as the Transvaal Technical Institute
- 1906 Renamed the Transvaal University College
- 1910 Renamed the South African School of Mines and Technology
- 1922 Full university status granted incorporating the College as the University of the Witwatersrand. Milner Park identified as new home and building starts. There are six faculties viz. Arts, Science, Medicine, Engineering, Law and Commerce
- 1947 - 1980 Considerable growth from 6275 students in 1963 to 16400 by 1985
- 1964 Medical library of Faculty of Medicine moved to Esselen Street, Hillbrow
- 1968 The Graduate School of Business established in Parktown
- 1969 The Ernest Oppenheimer Residence opened in Parktown. The clinical departments in the new Medical School opened.
- 1976 Lawson’s Corner, renamed University Corner
- 1977 Senate House, the University’s main administrative building occupied
- 1960s Sterkfontein acquired (limestone caves renowned for archaeological material)
- 1968 Neighbouring farm, Swartkrans (also rich in archaeological material) purchased. Excavation rights acquired for archaeological and palaeontological purposes at Makapansgat (in the Limpopo province)
- 1984 The Milner Park showgrounds acquired and renamed West Campus
- 1989 Chamber of Mines building opened. Deck constructed across the motorway to link the East & West campuses
Current Faculties and Schools
| Faculty |
School |
| Commerce, Law & Management |
Accountancy |
| Economics & Business Sciences |
| Law |
| WitsPlus (Part-time BCom) |
| Graduate School of Business Administration |
| Graduate School of Public & Development Management |
| Engineering & the Built Environment |
Architecture & Planning |
| Civil & Environmental Engineering |
| Construction Economics & Management |
| Electrical & Information Engineering |
| Mechanical, Industrial & Aeronautical Engineering |
| Mining Engineering |
| Process & Materials Engineering |
| Health Sciences |
Anatomical Science |
| Clinical Medicine |
| Oral Health Sciences |
| Pathology |
| Physiology |
| Public Health |
| Therapeutic Sciences |
| Centre for Health Science Education |
| Centre for Postgraduate Studies and Research Office |
| Humanities |
School of Arts |
| College of Education at Wits |
| Education |
| Graduate School for the Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Human & Community Development |
| Literature & Language Studies |
| Social Sciences |
| WitsPlus (Part-time "BA for the World of Work") |
| Science |
Animal, Plant & Environmental Sciences |
| Molecular & Cell Biology |
| Chemistry |
| Physics |
| Geography, Archaeology & Environmental Studies |
| Geosciences |
| Computational & Applied Mathematics |
| Computer Science |
| Mathematics |
| Statistics & Actuarial Science |
Points of interest
- Art Galleries There are two art galleries which are open to the public viz. the Gertrude Posel Gallery and the Studio Gallery. Both of these are located in Senate House. The Studio Gallery is renowned for having one the best collections of African beadwork in the world. Open Tuesdays to Fridays from 10:00 AM - 16:00 PM. Phone +27 11 717 1360
- Rock Art The JD Roberts-Pager Collection of San rock art copies is located in the Van Riet Lowe building on the East Campus
- Planetarium Phone +27 11 717 1392
- Museums The University hosts 14 museums. These include the Adler Museum of the History of Medicine, the Palaeontology Museum and the only Geology Museum in Gauteng. The displays cover a vast spectra including the Taung skull, dinosaur fossils and butterflies.
- Sterkfontein Caves near Krugersdorp. World renowned as one of the largest sources of hominid fossils in the world. The area has been awarded World Heritage status. The Robert Broom Museum is next to the caves
Alumni and former faculty
Nobel Prize Laureates
Books about the University
- The Golden Jubilee of the University of the Witwatersrand 1972 ISBN 0854941886 Jubilee Committee, University of the Witwatersrand
- Wits: the early years : a history of the University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg and its precursors 1896 - 1936 1982 Bruce Murray ISBN 0854947094 Witwatersrand University Press
- Wits sport: an illustrated history of sport at the University of the Witwatersrand 1989 Jonty Winch ISBN 0620138068 Windsor
- Wits: a university in the apartheid era 1996 Mervyn Shear ISBN 1868143023 University of the Witwatersrand
- Wits: The Open Years 1997 Bruce Murray ISBN 1868143147 Wits University Press
- A Vice-Chancellor remembers: the memoirs of Professor G.R. Bozzoli 1995 Guerino Bozzoli ISBN 0620193697 Alphaprint
- Wits Library: a centenary history 1998 Reuben Musiker & Naomi Musiker ISBN 0620227540 Scarecrow Books
External Links
