Robert Allen Page, chemist, was the son of Charles Frederick Page and Mary Stella, born Crockart. He received his secondary schooling at the Boys' High School, Stellenbosch, and passed the matriculation examination of the University of the Cape of Good Hope in 1910. He continued his studies at Victoria College, Stellenbosch, and was awarded the degree Bachelor of Arts (BA) by the University of the Cape of Good Hope in 1913. After graduating he was employed at the Government Analytical Laboratory in Cape Town until 1916, when he succeeded Mr Farrow as lecturer in chemistry at Rhodes University College, Grahamstown, under Professor G E Cory*. He remained at the college until 1925, and during this period obtained the degree Master of Arts (MA). In 1933 he was designated as analyst in terms of both the Wine, spirits and vinegar act (1913) and the Fertiliser, farm foods, seeds and pest remedies act (1917).

Page was married to Gwendoline Ermyntrude Burls on 9 January 1926 and they had a son.

List of sources:

Brown, M.E., Eve, D.J., Kaye, P.T., Rivett, D.E.A. & Watkins, D.M. 100 years of chemistry at Rhodes University. South African Journal of Science, 2004, Vol. 100, pp. 530-538.

Brown, M.E., Eve, D.J. & Letcher, T.M. 80 years of chemistry at Rhodes. Chemsa, 1983, Vol. 9, pp. 136-139.

FamilySearch: Sub-Lieutenant Robert Allen Page. https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/details/GMR9-XX4

National Automated Archival Information Retrieval System (NAAIRS), at http://www.national.archives.gov.za/naairs.htm Documents relating to Robert Allen Page / R A Page.

Rhodes University College. Calendar, 1924.

University of the Cape of Good Hope. Calendar, 1911/2, 1914/5 to 1917/8.

Compiled by: C. Plug

Last updated: 2025-06-27 09:55:25