Head and shoulders image of Dr. Thomas E. Alty, professor of Physics, 1925-1935.

Bio/Historical Note: Dr. Thomas Edward Alty was born 10 September 1899 in Liverpool, England. He studied science at Liverpool University, then did postgraduate studies at Cambridge University. In 1924 he began lecturing in Physics at Durham University. In 1925, at age 25, Dr. Alty was appointed professor of physics at the University of Saskatchewan. In 1934 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. In 1935 Dr. Alty returned to Britain as professor of Applied Physics at Glasgow University. In 1948 he left Britain again to become a Master at Rhodes University in Makhanda (Grhamstown), South Africa; in 1951 he was appointed both principal and vice chancellor. Rhodes University was inaugurated on 10 March 1951. Sir Basil Schonland became the first chancellor, and Dr. Thomas Alty the first vice-chancellor. In terms of the Rhodes University Private Act, the University College of Fort Hare was affiliated to Rhodes University. This mutually beneficial arrangement continued until the apartheid government decided to disaffiliate Fort Hare from Rhodes. The Rhodes Senate and Council objected strongly to this, and to the Separate University Education Bill, which they condemned as interference with academic freedom. However, the two bills were passed, and Fort Hare's affiliation to Rhodes came to an end in 1959. Nevertheless, in 1962 an honourary doctorate was conferred on the State President C.R. Swart, who (as Minister of Justice after 1948) had been responsible for the repression of opposition political organizations. The award caused the resignation of the Chancellor. Alty left the university in 1963. Glasgow University gave Dr. Alty an honourary Doctor of Laws degree in 1953. He died in Birmingham, England on 2 May 1982. The Thomas Alty Awards were established to encourage Rhodes University staff to earn a Masters or PhD degree or equivalent qualification while in the services of the University.