Rector’s eNews 29: 17 September 2025

Last Friday we held a memorable service during which our beautiful, extended Chapel was re-dedicated to the glory of God. Bishop Nkosinathi Ndwandwe, Bishop of Natal, was here for the occasion and we were joined by about a hundred Old Boys, parents and friends of the school as well as all the boys in the Chapel. Two of our significant donors, Jamie Inglis and Gordon Bruins, were able to be present to represent their families as well as the other donors, including the Jonsson family, the Ralfe family, the Thorrington-Smith family and the Sacco family. There were also anonymous donors who made the extension possible. The new pews were utilized, plaques of dedication and commemoration were also in place and the roof was raised when the congregation, especially all the boys, sang Stars of the Morning at the conclusion of the service.

Many comments from those present followed. All expressed delight that the school was able to worship together again and how important this was in the context of underpinning the ethos of Michaelhouse. The soul of Michaelhouse depends on the possibility of joint worship, and boys and all staff being able to congregate in a single place to give thanks. It was an unforgettable day.

On Sunday we heard the sad news of the passing of a long-time friend of Michaelhouse, Dudley Forde. Dr Reginald Dudley Forde was an outstanding leader in the field of education and was the second Old Boy after Rex Pennington to be appointed Rector of Michaelhouse, a position he held from 1997 until 2001 when he retired.

Dudley Forde was born in Johannesburg on 20 April 1940 and received his education in the then Province of Natal attending Clifton Prep School in Nottingham Road before moving on to Michaelhouse where he boarded in Pascoe House.

His father had died in the Second World War and Dudley was raised by his widowed mother, Margaret. Conscious of his mother’s great sacrifices, he decided against coming back to the Sixth Form after matriculating and instead enrolled for articles at an auditing firm in Durban. Walking back one day from the office in the Durban CBD to his mother’s flat on Berea Road, a fellow clerk invited him to help run a Boy Scout camp at the weekend, and his initial reaction was to decline, but he changed his mind and thus began a lifelong dedication to the Boy Scout movement. The Scout camp was Dr Forde’s Damascene moment where he realised that he was not suited to Accountancy and that his real vocation was in teaching. James Cameron Todd, the founder of Michaelhouse, would surely have approved.

Dudley Forde went on to qualify at Edgewood Teachers’ Training College and secured his first job at Maritzburg College, where he was much loved as a Mathematics teacher from 1965-1974. His clarity of explanation and human empathy led to rapid promotions within the Department of Education and saw him lead several schools including Kingsway High School before he returned to Maritzburg College as Headmaster from 1986-1991. His impact there was such that he was then promoted to be an Inspector and then Superintendent within the Education Department, but his preference was always to be in schools and he returned to be Headmaster of Durban High School from 1994-1996 and then Rector of Michaelhouse from 1997-2001 when he retired.

Dr Forde’s intellectual interests, particularly in the fields of leadership and education saw him undertake several degrees, culminating in a PhD; he lectured at the then Natal University, examined at Rhodes University and published several books on Leadership as well as being a valued member of several school Boards and Trusts.

Dudley Forde had interests outside of education refereeing first division rugby and holding a private pilot’s licence. Throughout his career, Dr Forde inculcated strong values of leadership, discipline and commitment in young people and promoted the Boy Scout Movement of South Africa, in which he became very active from the 1950s. Dr Forde held several appointments including the National Commissioner for Training and Chief Scout Commissioner. He initiated the Patrol Leader Training Unit (PLTU), a course designed to assist boys in the development of their leadership.

For his service to the Scouting Movement (which he officially joined in 1958 and spanned four decades) Dudley Forde was awarded the Medal of Merit, the Long Service Medal, the Order of the Silver Protea and the highest award, the Silver Springbok. In April 2011 Dr Forde was named Counsellor of the Order of the Baobab (C.O.B) by President Jacob Zuma for his “outstanding leadership in the field of education and contribution to community service through the channels of the education system and the Boy Scout Movement of South Africa”. He is well known in most spheres concerned with leadership training and has published several papers on his studies and practical work in this area.

Dr Forde believed in doing the little things with great purpose and he invested his gifts, his time and his values in building a better Michaelhouse and he sought to impact positively on humanity. His legacy does not just lie in the institutions he led, but in the lives he touched. Though he may no longer walk through the cloisters of Michaelhouse, the echo of his wisdom, kindness, and unwavering dedication will forever resonate in the legacy of those he taught, mentored, and inspired. Dudley Forde’s influence as an outstanding leader in education endures and undoubtedly will be woven into the character of generations who carry forward his values and his vision.

And so we bid farewell to a great educator, a selfless man who touched the lives of many.

A memorial service to celebrate the life of Dudley Forde will be held on Thursday 25 September at 14h30 at St Thomas Church in Musgrave Road, Durban.

 

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