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see also:
- Out of Africa there is always something
new by J.A. van den Heever
-
Growth of a Collection (Ethnology Collection)
by E. M.Shaw
Alfred Walter ('Fuzz') Crom pton
was born in Durban in 1927 and obtained a brilliant academic record at
Stellenbosch and Cambridge Universities. At the time of his appointment to the
South African Museum he was twenty-eight years old, far younger than any other
Museum director in South Africa.
1956 was one of the turning points in the history of the Museum. Being 131
years old, staff initiative had become dormant through the perpetual lack of
funds to carry out new ideas and the institution had become staid and
conservative. The arrival of the new and young Director, with up-to-date ideas
and energy provided the renewal that the institution needed. There were also
improved finances and this led to a general increase in younger staff.
A volume of new building work took place under Crompton's directorship,
including a large two-storey Administration block. Extensions were also made to
the display galleries on two floors. The Museum acquired a Spitz Planetarium
which was a popular attraction and it formed part of the formal education
service, offering lessons on astronomy.
Crompton was already becoming established as a Karoo palaeontologist when he
was appointed Director of the Museum and he determined to continue his research.
He paid special attention to the higher mammal-like reptiles and to the
early dinosaurs. In his papers he placed strong emphasis on the functional
aspects of his material and with his refreshingly new form-and -function
approach, most of Crompton's work was scientifically "newsworthy".
Early in 1964 Crompton was invited to visit the United States, where he was
offered the Directorship of the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale
University. This provided him with greatly increased opportunities for research
and he accepted the appointment.
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