Image: University Archives, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester
Editorial
Achieving our full potential
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few years ago, I became aware of a distinguished Wits graduate, Cornelis de Kiewiet, who was Provost and later acting President of Cornell University before being appointed the fifth President of the University of Rochester, where he served from 1951 until his retirement in 1961. Cornelis had commenced his studies at Wits’ predecessor, University College, Johannesburg and was awarded a BA degree at the first Wits graduation ceremony in 1922. He then obtained a BA Hons in 1923 and MA the following year from Wits. He also served in the first Wits SRC in 1922. I had no idea that Cornelis had a twin brother, John Arie de Kiewiet, until our alumni reunion events in Texas in September this year, when one of his descendants in San Antonio, Witsie Mark de Kiewiet, (BSc Eng 1982, GDE 1987, MSc Eng 1990) mentioned it to me. The De Kiewiet twins were born in 1902 and the family emigrated to South Africa from the Netherlands in 1903. Their working-class father was originally a miner and later a railway worker. As Mark tells it, times were hard, and his great-great-grandparents could not afford to send both twins to university. With the help of a bursary, Cornelis was chosen for a university education. John started as a pattern maker for his father-in-law and later started a foundry in Fordsburg making iron, brass and aluminium parts for the mines and railways. It’s a fascinating story that illustrates how our lives can be influenced by situations beyond our control. It is sobering to think what different paths our lives could have taken under different circumstances or if we reflect on how the past has impacted the present, whether in our personal lives or more broadly in society. From experiences in childhood to the collective histories of societies, the impact of the past is ever present. Our lives today can often only be understood in the context of what has gone before with access to education playing a key role.
The former President of the University of Rochester, Cornelis de Kiewiet, is credited by some for helping create the research university as we know it today
Many alumni can attest to the enduring impact the education and training they received at Wits has had on their lives. Their time at Wits helped them grow, shaping their values and beliefs, instilling resilience and the ability to solve problems. The knowledge and skills gained during these years are the bedrock on which careers are built. Researching De Kiewiet’s career further, I was struck by an observation he recorded when working at the University of Iowa: “I have only to say a word and they order whatever books I require … They are madly keen that you be given every chance to do good work.” As a society, we need to be madly keen to ensure that every citizen has the opportunity to develop and realise their full potential. Education is one fundamental way to achieve this. John was successful in what he did. He expanded and relocated his company to Isando, designed and built his own house on Linksfield Ridge and held several patents for shell mould casting of aluminium. He excelled in his hobbies of photography, oil painting and chess. One can only wonder what heights such a talented twin brother might have scaled with a Wits education. Peter Maher Director of Alumni Relations
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