Harry Frederick Oppenheimer OMSG (28 October 1908 – 19 August 2000) was a prominent South African businessman, industrialist and philanthropist. Oppenheimer was often ranked as one of the wealthiest people in the world, and was considered South Africa's foremost industrialist for four decades. In 2004 he was voted 60th in the SABC3's Great South Africans.

Early life and education

He was born in Kimberley, on 28 October 1908 to Jewish parents, May (née Pollak; 1886–1934), and Ernest Oppenheimer (1880 -1957). His paternal grandparents and maternal grandmother were German Jews, whereas his maternal grandfather was a Czech Jew from Mikulov. His parents married in London in a Jewish ceremony in the Reform tradition. He spent his first seven years in Kimberley and attended the Kimberley Shul. In the same year he returned to Johannesburg, and settled in Brenthurst, the private estate built by his father, Ernest.

In his 1983 The New York Times interview with Oppenheimer, Joseph Lelyveld wrote that Oppenheimer "more than anyone else has managed to preserve and strengthen the economic ties binding Johannesburg to Western financial centers." He also became the opposition spokesman on economics, finance and constitutional affairs. In September 1985, he was one of 91 business leaders that signed a newspaper advertisement calling for an end to apartheid and negotiations with "acknowledged black leaders" on power sharing.

Oppenheimer also maintained cordial relations with African statesmen, such as Zambia's Kenneth Kaunda, dining at their official residences.

Philanthropy

Oppenheimer visited Israel for the first time in 1968, meeting statesman David Ben Gurion. He became a generous benefactor of the country. He authorised the flow of diamonds to Israel's important diamond-sorting and diamond-cutting industry.

The Harry Oppenheimer Agricultural High School in Limburg, Limpopo is named in his honour in recognition of the funds he provided for its establishment.

The Harry Oppenheimer Fellowship Award, Africa's premier research prize, is awarded every year by the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust, in memory of Harry Oppenheimer's commitment to an ideal of "unambiguous excellence."

Personal life

He married Bridget (née McCall) in 1943 and converted to Anglicanism.

He died on 19 August 2001.

Family

His son, Nicky Oppenheimer, became Deputy Chairman of Anglo American Corporation in 1983 and Chairman of De Beers in 1998. His daughter, Mary Slack, resides predominantly at Brenthurst, but has houses in Muizenberg and London, England, as well as Wilgerbosdrift stud farm in the Western Cape.

Residences

His main residence was the Brenhurst Estate in Parktown in Johannesburg.

Oppenheimer later purchased an apartment in the Carlyle Hotel, an Art Deco luxury hotel on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

Harry Oppenheimer Diamond Museum in Ramat Gan, Israel, was founded in 1986 to present his life and career.

References

  • Harry Oppenheimer (His life and achievements)