Adriaan Nicolaas Petrus Pelzer-Biography, Age, State of Origin
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Adriaan Nicolaas Petrus Pelzer (25 December 1915 – 15 October 1981) was a South African Afrikaans academic, historian, author and Professor at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. He retired as vice rector and acting rector in 1980 from the University of Pretoria. Among books published are the following “The Afrikaner-Broederbond: First 50 Years (1980)” and “Verwoerd Speaks Speeches 1948–1966 (1966)”. He was also member of the “National Monuments Council” and in 1978 received the Laureate Award from the University of Pretoria. The Laureate Award is the highest award granted by the University of Pretoria.[2] From 1965 to 1978 he was vice-president and member of the executive committee of Northern-Transvaal Rugby Union, and lifelong member from 1979.
Early life and education
Adriaan Nicolaas Petrus Pelzer (called Attie) was born 25 December 1915 in the South African town of Ermelo. He grew up on a farm called “Voorsorg” (Provision) in the district of Estantia in Ermelo, South Africa.
He finished school in 1932 and in 1933 continued his studies as a student at the University of Pretoria (UP) and the student house of “Sonop” (Sunrise) and received his bachelor’s degree (BA-degree) cum laude with major subjects Afrikaans and History. Two years later in 1937 he achieve simultaneously a master’s degree in history and an advanced certificate in education, both cum laude.[3]
Academic career
After receiving a bursary from the University for postgraduate studies, he decided to travel to Amsterdam in 1938 and enrol at the University of Amsterdam. He was to receive his PhD degree on 10 May 1940, but two weeks before took the last boat out of The Netherlands back to South Africa as WWII swept over Europe and the German invasion of the Netherlands seemed imminent.
Back in South Africa he took up teaching in a school in the town of Vereeniging from 1940 to 1941. Fortunately also in this time his completed PhD dissertation (from the time in Amsterdam) was accepted at the University of Pretoria and awarded the degree in April 1941. From here he was appointed as a lecturer in the department of History at the University of Pretoria in January 1942, and in 1946 as Senior Lector and in 1947 as Professor and head of the department. He served as Dean from October 1954 to 31 March 1970 for the Faculty of Arts and Literature. On 1 April 1970 he joined the university administration and on 1 July 1970 was appointed as Registrar and head of the Academic Registration. He held this post till 1 January 1974 when he was appointed as first Vice-rector of the University of Pretoria. He held this post till retirement at the end of the academic year in 1980, while for the preceding two years was also standing in as acting rector for the University of Pretoria.