50 YEARS OF ICHTHYOLOGY IN GRAHAMSTOWN

In July 1946, the fledgling Council for Scientific and Industrial Rese arch (CSIR) awarded Dr J.L.B. (James Leonard Brierley) Smith of Rhodes University College a research fellowship of pound 800 to enable him t o devote his energies to ichthyology. The university responded by prov iding accommodation, equipment and appointing Smith a research profess or These actions marked the beginning of what has become a major acade mic development in Grahamstown as represented by the J.L.B. Smith Inst itute of lchthyology, the Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Scie nce (DIFS), and the Freshwater Fish Section at the Albany Museum. At p resent more than 40 people are employed in one way or other in these o rganizations, more than 20 of them professionals, in addition to whom there are 41 postgraduate students currently studying ichthyology or F isheries science through DIFS at Rhodes University. Altogether this re presents a concentration of ichthyological expertise probably unmatche d anywhere else in the world. It is opportune therefore to highlight a few of the more significant milestones in the history of ichthyology in Grahamstown and so illuminate some of the key factors behind this a chievement.