Veterinary education in South Africa : the class of 1955

The photograph of the veterinary graduandi of 1955, in front of the Onderstepoort Library, is a formal group photo. Piet Botha graduated from Onderstepoort in 1955 with 11 classmates. 3 of the original 15 in his class finished later. Drs Daan Verwoerd, Andrew Pettigrew and Peter Masters were other members of this class. Piet Botha worked for a year in Benoni for Harry Botha and Charles Howell. Piet remembers Harry Botha as a very practical vet with good people skills. He encouraged Piet to remember every owner’s name and if possible, the dog’s name as well. The names of the graduates and staff on the photo are Front (from left to right): Prof KC Schulz, Dr JD Smit, Prof JDWA Coles, Prof EM Robinson, Prof PJJ Fourie, Prof WO Neitz, Prof NC Starke, Prof WD Malherbe, Dr M de Lange, Dr TF Adelaar ; Second row: T Robson, JTR Robinson, AH Pettigrew, M Bachmann, JD Coetzee, HC Theron, J van Niekerk, DW Verwoerd, JDH Poole, DF Wege, PMS Masters, PB Botha. More information on some of the veterinarians can be read in: Past veterinarians in South Africa / Posthumus, P.J. URL: http://hdl.handle.net/2263/21238Black and white photoab202