Page 37 - VHSA - Onderstepoort 100 Years - Part 1

ONDERSTEPOORT 100 Consolidation of core functions
(1961-1980)
Onderstepoort and Veterinary BServices separate
C. (Ben) Jansen qualified at the Onderstepoort Faculty in 1944. His BVSc-degree was not only awarded cum laude but he was also the co- recipient of the prestigious Theiler Medal, which
is awarded to the best student in a final year class who meets the high level of excellence specified for the award, with L.W. (Louw) van den Heever.
After qualifying Jansen went directly in- to private practice in Johannesburg where he joined J.G. (Boet) Bekker and H.P. (Lang) Steyn in the northern suburbs of the city. In 1949 he changed his career path by joining the government service at Onderstepoort where he was appointed as veterinary researcher. De Kock was Director of Veterinary Services, and therefore head of the research institute, at the time. After a brief sojourn in the Protozoology Section, Jansen was transferred to the Bacterio- logy Section in 1951 where he specialized in anaerobic bacteria and conducted research of outstanding quality on diseases caused by micro-organisms of the Clostridium group. Initially he gave considerable attention to pulpy kidney disease, especially with re- gard to studies on its immunology and the improvement of vaccines directed at its control. He was awarded a DVSc degree cum laude by the University of Pretoria in 1960 on the strength of a thesis entitled: ‘The beta toxin of Clostridium welchii type B Wilsdon, in relation to the production of a vaccine against lamb dysentery.’ In 1966 he received a DSc degree from the Potchefstroom University for CHE on the strength of his published research, and in 1971 the University of Stellenbosch added a PhD in Medical Science.
In the meantime he was promoted to Sub-Director of Veterinary Services at the Onderstepoort Research Institute in 1958 and to Deputy Director in the post of Graf who died on 7 June 1960 from a heart attack while on duty.
Soon thereafter, in 1961 at the age of 41, he succeeded Alexander as Director of Veterinary Services, a position that he filled until 1962 when, as part of the restructuring of the
Department of Agriculture, the Division of Veterinary (Field) Services became an independent directorate with its own director in the person of M.C. Lambrechts. As were his predecessors du Toit, de Kock and Alexander, Jansen was in charge of both the Research Institute and of the Division of Veterinary Services from 1961-1962.
Having also served as senior lecturer in bacteriology at the Onderstepoort Faculty
from 1958, he was appointed Professor
and Head of the Faculty’s Department of Infectious Diseases, also on a part time
basis, in 1963 and as Dean of the Faculty
in the same year. He relinquished the latter position to C.F.B. Hofmeyr in 1969 but retained his professorship until 1973 when
the Faculty became a fully-fledged faculty
of the University of Pretoria, completely independent from the Institute and the 37 Department of Agriculture.
Although Jansen was chairman of many committees, it was not a task that he was prepared to allot much time to and he ruled his meetings with an mailed fist. As Dean the briefness of even his most important Faculty meetings was legendary. Jansen was also a very strict examiner at oral examinations at both graduate and post-graduate levels. Despite his strictness, his popularity as a teacher in the Faculty was probably never exceeded in his time on account of the excellence of his lectures.
The existing international involvement of the Onderstepoort Veterinary Research Institute, largely generated by the charis- matic P.J. du Toit and maintained to a considerable extent by Alexander, was gra-
“As Dean the briefness of even his most important Faculty meetings was legendary. Despite his strictness, Jansen’s popularity as a teacher in the Faculty was probably never exceeded in his time on account of the excellence of his lectures.”
Jansen was awarded a Nuffield Fellow-
ship for Research in Biological Sciences in
1956 which he utilized for studies in the
United Kingdom. Back at Onderstepoort he continued with his research on the clostridia, later focusing on Clostridium botulinum. More specifically, he studied the antigenic toxins of the micro-organisms of the Clostridium group.
dually being whittled away because of growing political isolation during Jansen’s time. Nevertheless South Africa was re-admitted as a member of the Inter-African Bureau for Ani- mal Health in 1961 and Jansen was invited to attend a meeting
Consolidation of core functions ( 1961-1980)
1908-2008
Years