PETERHOUSE NOSTALGIA

... MEMORIES ...

Bob Williams

From the UK Telegraph
9 August 2002

"Bob" Williams, who has died aged 86, was chairman of the Rhodesian Constitutional Association which championed moderation and civilised values after Ian Smith rebelled against the Crown in 1965.

After failing to forestall the folly of the unilateral declaration of independence with a series of warnings, the association pressed for acceptance of the compromises worked out between the British Government and the Smith regime on the warships Tiger and Fearless. It realised that the British call for "No Independence Before Majority Rule" could never win favour with the white electors, and insisted on orderly progress and advancement on merit.

But even Harold Wilson could see that neither the Rolls-Royce-driving Williams nor any other members of the association could ever rival Smith's personal appeal to the white electorate. Their insistence that opposing the ruling Rhodesian Front party did not mean being anti-Rhodesian convinced few members of the business community. "Of course I'm with you, old boy," Williams would be assured in private, "but in my business I can't stick my neck out."

After the association merged with a new, though equally ineffective, Centre Party in 1968, Williams chaired a committee to plan a referendum - then resigned.

However, he remained an active supporter of Sir Humphrey Gibbs, the Governor, attending his party on the Queen's birthday and contributing to the fund set up to provide him with cash after UDI. Williams was always ready to join Gibbs in a game of snooker at the Salisbury Club whenever he slipped out of his official residence, while Williams's wife Marize worked at Government House, compiling press cuttings.

The son of a farmer, Noel Arthur Francis Williams, known as Bob, was born at Salisbury (now Harare) on Christmas Day 1915. He was one of the first boys to attend Ruzawi, Rhodesia's first English-style preparatory school, when it opened in the 1920s, then went to St Andrews, Grahamstown, and Rhodes University, where he read Law, played rugby, cricket, squash and rowed. He became the South African universities' light heavyweight boxing champion, and played hockey for Eastern Province.

Winning a Rhodes scholarship, he went to Magdalen College, Oxford, in 1938, to read English under C S Lewis. He played one game of rugby for the university, in which he broke his leg.

After the declaration of war, Williams joined the Royal Navy, sweeping mines in the Channel and making several trips to pick up troops from the beach at Dunkirk; on one he witnessed the sinking of a ship in which he had previously served.

He was First Lieutenant of Balta, which was the only ship left afloat in the Bay of Bengal after the Japanese fleet sank the cruisers Cornwall and Dorsetshire, and was twice recommended for a DSC.

On returning home to run a dairy farm outside Salisbury, Williams built up a prosperous business career, becoming chairman of Lancashire Steel, Salisbury Wire Mesh and Coal Tar Fuels as well as a director of Zimbabwe Iron and Steel, Granite Crusher and Metro Drive-In Cinema.

Having first joined the Ex-Servicemen's Vigilance Association, Williams became involved in the United Party. He was then chairman of the Rhodesian Party and the Constitutional Association. In later years, he did not waver in his beliefs, though he rocked no boats either in the last years of Smith or in the tragic aftermath of Robert Mugabe's independent Zimbabwe.

He presided over the establishment of a non-racial National Sports Centre (which, at one stage, was named after him), and drew great satisfaction from championing the cause of independent education. For many years he was chairman of the Ruzawi Schools, and was long associated with Peterhouse, the Anglican boarding school established in 1955.

In 1963 he was active in setting up a central bursary fund to enable black pupils to attend independent schools, which they subsequently did throughout the UDI years. A quarter of a century later he used his influence at Rhodes and called upon his extensive business contacts to set up a teaching bursary scheme, so that young black and white Zimbabweans could attend Rhodes and return to teach in the independent schools of Zimbabwe.

Williams died at Harare on July 13 after a fall, which prevented him from making his annual pilgrimage to Wimbledon this year.

He married, in 1944, Jeanne Marie-Louise Mulligan, who died two years ago. He is survived by two sons and a daughter.

Bob Williams: Serving education and sport across the racial divide
The Zimbabwe Independent 20 September 2002

Bob Williams was born in Salisbury, Rhodesia, on Christmas Day in 1915. His father had arrived by ox wagon in the town in 1907 and had taken up farming in 1912.

The business prospered, as it continued to do when Bob inherited it. He was one of the first group of boys to attend Ruzawi School when it opened its doors in 1928 and, although only there for a year before going on to St Andrews College, Grahamstown, he remained closely involved with the affairs of Ruzawi for the rest of his life.

In 1934, he went to Rhodes University, where he read law. He was an outstanding sportsman, representing the university in rowing and rugby, winning the South African universities light heavy-weight boxing title, playing Eastern Province hockey and, at age 20, being selected to play hockey for the Springboks. He won a Rhodes Scholarship to Magdalen College, Oxford.

His career there - studying English with CS Lewis as his tutor - was cut short by the war when he enlisted in the Royal Navy, saw action at Dunkirk, and was twice recommended for the DSC. A short leave in 1944 enabled him to marry Jeanne Marie-Louise (Marize) Mulligan, who was to predecease him.

After demobilisation in 1945 he returned to Rhodesia and continued to farm. In 1947, 1948 and 1950 he represented Rhodesia in hockey, following in the footsteps of his father and brother. He later built up an impressive range of directorships, including the chairmanships of Salwire and Lancashire Steel and was also an honorary life member of the Harare Club. In 1988, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws by Rhodes University, having served on its board for 15 years.

Noel Arthur Francis Williams - always known as "Bob" - believed the country could become a non-racial beacon of hope in a divided African continent. It was a dream he shared with his friend Sir Humphrey Gibbs, to whom he gave his support during the UDI years when, from 1965 to 1969, the governor was confined to Government House. His wife, Marize, along with many others, spent time at Government House helping to keep a meticulous record of press cuttings, which survives in the Humphrey Gibbs Archive.

Williams served his country most notably in three areas - politics, sport and education. He was twice chairman of the Rhodesian National Affairs Association, which Harold Macmillan addressed in January 1960, just prior to his "winds of change" speech in Cape Town. He was most deeply involved in politics in the late 1960s, when he chaired the Rhodesian Constitutional Association, and in the early 1970s chaired the Rhodesia Party. Both were attempts to present a liberal message in an increasingly hostile environment.

His contributions to national sport similarly opposed the increasingly apartheid flavour of the regime. An accomplished sportsman himself, it was appropriate that he should chair the National Sports Centre committee from 1962 until 1980, its stadium initially named after him. He was a judge with the national Boxing Board of Control for 15 years.

Perhaps his greatest and most lasting contribution to the country was his work for Zimbabwe's independent schools. He was for 42 years involved in the affairs of Ruzawi, and for 38 years in those of Peterhouse, where he presided at speech day on 30 occasions. When he finally retired as chairman of the Peterhouse board in 1997, he was made patron of the school.

The only other person so elevated had been Viscount Malvern who, as Dr Godfrey Huggins, had by a happy chance saved the young Bob Williams' life in 1922 when he had fallen and severed tendons and an artery.

But Williams' two greatest triumphs in the field of education both involved raising money, at which he was astonishingly successful. In 1962 he helped to found the Central Bursary Fund, set up in advance of opening up the dozen or so independent schools to black pupils, with the realisation that they would need subsidising. Then in 1989 he launched another initiative: raising money to send pupils from independent schools to Rhodes University to read for a degree, train as teachers, and come back to serve in Zimbabwe's independent schools. These two schemes still continue.

Bob Williams died on July 13, aged 86. He is survived by his two sons and a daughter, who were present, along with a host of representatives from all walks of life, at his memorial service on July 26 in Highlands Presbyterian Church, where the singing was led by the choirs of Ruzawi and Peterhouse. He would have approved of that.

A Tribute from the Rector

Sadly, our Patron Dr. N.A.F.Williams, or Bob as he was affectionately known, passed away in July 2002. He was aged 82. Bob was born in Zimbabwe, attended Ruzawi, St. Andrew's College, Grahamstown, Rhodes University and was then awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to study Law at Magdelene College, Oxford. He distinguished himself, at sport and represented Rhodes at 1st Team Rugby, Cricket, Boxing, Squash, Hockey and Rowing! He was even selected to play for the Springbok Hockey side. During the 2nd World War, he distinguished himself in the Royal Navy and was twice recommended for the Distinguished Service Cross. On his return to this country after the war, and became a farmer, successful businessman and director of companies.

It was, however, his significant contribution to private schools in this country that he will be best remembered. He served Ruzawi School for a total of 42 years. He served Peterhouse for a total of 38 years and, during that time, attended over 30 Speech Day Ceremonies. He served on our Executive Committee from 1960 to 1976 and was Chairman from 1963 to 1976. He was Chairman of our Board of Governors from 1977 to 1997, when he was appointed out Patron. His contribution was not confined only to Ruzawi and to Peterhouse. He attended the inaugural meeting of the Association of Governing Bodies in 1962, and was Chairman of that body (or ATS as it is now known) from 1964 to 1984. When private schools opened their doors to black pupils, in 1962, he was the founder Chairman of the Central Bursary Fund, which helped finance their education. Seeing the need for young Zimbabweans to return to Zimbabwe, to teach in our Schools, he started the ATS/ CHISZ Teaching Bursary Fund in the late 1980's. This fund has sponsored over 120 Students, at Rhodes University, since 1990. Many of them still teach in our Schools today. In 1988 he was awarded a Doctor of Laws, (LLD) Honours Causa, for his contribution to Education.

Bob was truly an outstanding man, with great vision, determination, integrity and concern, the likes of whom will seldom be seen again.

J B Calderwood