Jean van der Poel

Jean van der Poel (1904–1986) was a South African historian.

Biography

Born in Cape Town, van der Poel studied at the University of Cape Town (UCT), completing her doctorate at the London School of Economics. Her doctorate, on railways and customs policies, was awarded magnum cum laude and won her the Royal Empire Society prize.

In 1929 Van der Poel returned to South Africa and declined a position at UCT as lecturer for a post as history teacher. She played a very important role in the South African Teacher’s Association, but in 1938 decided to move to UCT. She became a senior lecturer in 1954 and was offered the King George V chair of history in the 1960s, which she declined. She retired in 1969.

Published works

(incomplete)

• Railway and Customs Policies in South Africa, 1885-1910, Longmans (1933)
• The Jameson Raid, Oxford University Press (1951)
• Selections From the Smuts Papers, vols 1-4 in collaboration with Professor WK Hancock, vols 5-7 alone, Cambridge University Press (1966 - 1973)