Short history of Wits

The South African School of Mines, established in Kimberley in 1896, was transferred to Johannesburg as the Transvaal Technical Institute in 1904, becoming the Transvaal University College in 1906 and the South African School of Mines and Technology in 1910.

As Johannesburg was developing, other departments were added, and in 1920 the name was changed to the University College, Johannesburg. Full university status was granted in 1922, incorporating the College as the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, with effect from the 1^st of March. Seven months later, the inauguration of the University was duly celebrated. Building began at Milner Park on a site donated to the University by the Johannesburg municipality, with the support of the mining industry.

In 1923, the University gradually vacated its premises in Eloff Street to move to the first completed teaching buildings at Milner Park. At that stage, the University had six faculties, 37 departments, 73 members of academic staff and little more than 1 000 students.

As the University expanded, the acquisition of additional property in adjacent areas became imperative. The Faculty of Medicine moved to a new building in Esselen Street, Hillbrow in 1964. The Wits Business School was established in Parktown in 1968. The Medical School moved to its current premises in York Road, Parktown in 1982. Expansion into Braamfontein also took place. In 1976, Lawson’s Corner, renamed University Corner was acquired. The new Wits Art Museum, due to open in May 2012, now occupies three floors of this building. Senate House, the University’s main administrative building, was occupied in 1977. The Milner Park showgrounds were acquired in 1984 from the Witwatersrand Agricultural Society and renamed West Campus. Today, the Wits campuses are some 400 hectares in extent.

In 1989, the Chamber of Mines Building was opened and the brick-paved AMIC deck was built across the M1 motorway. The University’s interests have not been confined to development and expansion at Milner Park and adjacent areas. In the 1960s the University acquired Sterkfontein, with its world-famous limestone caves, rich in archaeological material. In 1968 the neighbouring farm, Swartkrans, also a source of archaeological material, was purchased. In the same year, the University acquired excavation rights in caves of archaeological and palaeontological importance at Makapansgat. Wits also owns the Wits Rural Facility in Bushbuckridge, which has served as a hub for rural research for over two decades.

Wits was founded as an open university with a policy of non-discrimination - on racial or any other grounds. This commitment faced its ultimate test when the apartheid government passed the Extension of the University Education Act in 1959, thereby enforcing university apartheid. The Wits community protested strongly and continued to maintain a firm, consistent and vigorous stand against apartheid, not only in education, but in all its manifestations. The consequences for the University were severe - banning, deportation and the detention of staff and students, as well as invasions of the campus by riot police using teargas and other means to disrupt peaceful protest meetings.

The protests against the apartheid regime intensified during the 1980s with almost 60 incidents of political activity involving clashes with the riot police occurring between 1986 and 1989. With the dismantling of apartheid and the election of a democratic government, the role of Wits as a resource became increasingly important. Further protests took place in the 1990s and in the last decade – this time by students protesting against academic and financial exclusions and fee increases.

The University continues to take a stand on issues that impact on society. In the last

decade, the University has staged protests in various forms on a wide range of issues

including government’s initial HIV/AIDS policy, its delay in granting the Dalai Lama a visa,

the proposed Protection of Information Bill and xenophobia in South Africa.

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