Francois Jean de Villiers, agricultural chemist and industrial adviser, was the son of Rocco Catorzia de Villiers and is wife Suzanna Catharina, born de Villiers. After matriculating in Paarl he continued his studies at the South African College (from 1918 the University of Cape Town) and was awarded the BA degree in 1918. Proceeding to the United States he obtained an MSc degree in chemistry at the University of California in 1922 with research on the effect of temperature on the ripening of pears. This was followed by a PhD degree in pomology awarded by Cornell University in 1924. Upon his return to South Africa he was employed at the Elsenburg Agricultural College near Stellenbosch during 1924-1925 and in the latter year was awarded the DSc degree in botany by the University of South Africa for a thesis entitled Physiological studies of the grape. This research was published under the same title by the Department of Agriculture in its Science Bulletin, 1926. He then joined the Division of Chemistry of the Department of Agriculture in Pretoria, where he remained to 1938. During this period he conducted research relating to the fruit industry which was reported in more than a dozen articles dealing with, among others, orange oil and other citrus byproducts (Farming in South Africa, 1929, 1930 (2), 1931; South African Journal of Chemistry, 1934), oil from the Eucalyptus tree (Farming in South Africa, 1933) and the picking and packing of grapes and other fruit (Journal of the Department of Agriculture, 1926). He became a member of the South African Chemical Institute in 1928 (later an honorary member) and served on its council from 1933 to 1941, including terms as vice-president (1937/8) and president (1938/9). He was also a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chemistry.

In 1938 de Villiers was appointed as an industrial adviser in the Department of Trade and Industry, a post that he held until 1958 and in which he was outstandingly successful as an industrial and economic administrator and leader who made numerous important contributions to the industrial development of South Africa. Among others he was involved in the establishment of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in 1945 and served on its council for many years; for some time was head of the South African Standards Institute and was largely responsible for the establishment of its successor, the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) in 1945, serving as chairman of its council for the first ten years; was chairman of a commission on vocational and and technical education (1945-1948) and produced a report of outstanding quality and usefulness; was a member of the council of the University of Pretoria (1947-1957); served as chairman of the council of the South African Fuel Research Institute (1949-1958); was chairman of the Electricity Control Board in 1950; served on the Defence Resources Board and from 1962 as its chairman; and was a member of the council of the University of South Africa from 1954 and its chancellor from 1957 to 1977.

The Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns (of which he was chairman from 1958 to 1961) awarded him its Havenga Prize for chemistry in 1955, its Frans du Toit Medal for his contributions to industrial economics in 1963, and honorary membership in 1965. His efforts towards the registration of professional engineers resulted in his honorary membership of the Engineers' Association of South Africa (EASA). The University of South Africa conferred an honorary doctorate in education upon him.

List of sources:

Boucher, M. Spes in ardus: 'n Geskiedenis van die Universiteit van Suid-Afrika. Pretoria: Unisa, 1973.

Chapter Reports: Cornell... Sigma Xi Quarterly, 1924, Vol. 12 (3), pp. 43-44. Retrieved on 3 September 2021 from https://www.jstor.org/stable/27824240?refreqid=excelsior:a80bc107b6ed1a85427be1ebf0a5b269&seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents

Dictionary of South African biography, Vol. 5, 1987.

Francois Jean de Villiers. Geni. Retrieved on 3 September 2021 from https://www.geni.com/people/Francois-de-Villiers/6000000004127487587

Google scholar. http://scholar.google.co.za/ , publications by F.J. de Villiers.

Posthumus, M.J. Dr Francois Jean de Villiers (1898-1980, verkies tot Erelid in 1965). Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns Jaarboek, 1980, p. 44.

Schumann, T.E.W. Havengaprys in die natuurwetenskappe en tegniek: Afdeling skeikunde, 1955. Tydskrif vir Wetenskap en Kuns, 1955, Vol. 15(2), pp. 5-6.

South African Chemical Institute. List of members, 1933/4 and 1958.

Standard Encyclopaedia of Southern Africa (SESA). Cape Town: Nasou, 1970-1976.

University of South Africa. Catalogue of theses and dissertations: De Villiers, Francois Jean. Retrieved from http://oasis.unisa.ac.za/search~S16/?searchtype=a&searcharg=De Villiers Francois Jean&searchscope=16&SORT=D&extended=1&SUBMIT=Search&searchlimits=&searchorigarg=aFrancois Jean de Villiers

Compiled by: C. Plug

Last updated: 2024-01-29 12:00:14