A fine 1pp. typed letter on House of Assembly letterhead dated May 6, 1931 and addressed to the Principal, University of Birmingham. Circa 120 words, concerning Raymond Dart. Dart had applied for the post of Chair of Anatomy at Birmingham University. Smuts supports Dart's candidature and praises him "I have known him for a number of years, and have formed a very high opinion of him both as a man and as a scientist. His work in anthropology has been outstanding and has secured for him wide celebrity.........I have no doubt he will still further distinguish himself in future".
Some fold creases and small tape residues on the edges having previously been tipped on to a ? album page. Otherwise in very good condition.
Professor Raymond Dart, the world famous anthropologist, was appointed Professor of Anatomy at the University of The Witwatersrand in 1922. In the event, it would appear that his application for the Anatomy Chair at Birmingham University was unsuccessful as I am unable to trace any evidence of this. Dart was most famous for the discovery of the Taung Child, who was only three years old at the time of death. He named it Australopithecus africanus - " australis " meaning ‘south' and " pithecus " meaning ‘ape'.
A document of great interest associating two of South Africa's great geniuses.
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