H. B. Thom


Hendrik Bernardus Thom was an Afrikaner professor and former Rector of the Stellenbosch University.

Life and career

Thom was born in Jamestown, Cape Colony, and grew up in Burgersdorp, South Africa. Because he was the 5th grandchild of his grandfather and namesake with the first names Hendrik Bernardus, his parents decided to call him by the nickname Quintus to distinguish him from his cousins; he was known as Quintie Thom throughout his life.
He matriculated at Burgersdorp High School and studied at Stellenbosch University. He continued his studies in history in Germany at the Friedrich Wilhelms Universität in Berlin, at the Sorbonne in Paris and in Amsterdam, researching his doctoral thesis, which he completed on his return to Stellenbosch. The title of his doctoral thesis was: Die geskiedenis van die skaapboerdery in Suid-Afrika.
During the next year he was appointed as lecturer of history at the Stellenbosch University, and promoted to senior lecturer in 1935. In 1937 he was appointed as professor of history at the same institution.
From 1954 H.B. Thom was Rector of the Stellenbosch University until his retirement in 1969. In 1983 he was voted Chancellor, but he died at the end of the same year having served as Chancellor of the university for only nine months. The HB Thom theatre at the university was named in his honour. In 2018, this theatre was renamed to the Adam Small Theatre Complex in the spirit of recognition, redress and reconciliation.
H.B. Thom enjoyed tennis, fishing and photography and married Maria du Toit in 1934; the marriage was childless.
He played a major role in the cultural life of the Afrikaner people, and wrote a number of important historical books.
He served on the Archives Commission and acted as chairman from 1950 to 1955. He was a member of the Historical Monuments Commission, 1948–1954; Van Riebeeck-Vereniging; Simon van der Stel Foundation; Stellenbosch Museum and chairman of its Board of Trustees, 1962–1968.
He received honorary memberships of the following organisations:
For 18 years he was chairman of the FAK and he was a sought after speaker. The FAK was a front for the secret organisation the Afrikaner Broederbond of which Thom was a member and a chairperson from 1952 to 1960
He served as Administrator of the Woordeboek van die Afrikaanse Taal.

Awards and honours

SA Academy for Arts and Science Award for History 1952

Honorary medal extraordinaire for the promotion of Afrikaans literature and culture 1959

Honorary medal extraordinaire for services rendered on behalf of university education 1969

D.F. Malan Medal 1975

Academy for Arts and Science Award 1980

Doctor honoris causa of Stellenbosch and Orange Free State universities

Books written

  • Die Boodskap van 'n Honderd Jaar, 1947
  • Die Lewe van Gerrit Maritz, 1947
  • Die Geloftekerk en ander Studies oor die Groot Trek, 1949
  • Jannie Marais, 1950
  • Daghregister van Jan Antonisz van Riebeeck, 1952
  • Die Nuwe Beeld van ons Weermag,, 1963
  • Die Uitdaging van die Toekoms,, 1965
  • Stellenbosch, 1866–1966 , 1966
  • D.F. Malan, 1980
Contributed to: Geskiedenis van Suid-Afrika, Suid-Afrikaanse Bibliografiese Woordeboek and Argief-jaarboek.

Member of the editorial staff of Nederlandse tydskrif Bijdragen voor de Geschiedenis der Nederlanden.