Ruth Maria Ruperti was the first woman to receive a doctorate from the University of South Africa.
Born in Wynberg, Cape Town, Ruth obtained her BA degree in 1934. She spent many years as a teacher in various schools around South Africa and, in 1960, she became the first woman to receive a doctorate (Doctor of Education) from Unisa.
In 1966 she joined Unisa as a Senior Lecturer of Didactics and Comparative Education. At the time, South African libraries had little or no information on educational development in Southern African countries. Dr Ruperti took it upon herself to visit these countries personally, which she did during her holidays, and collect all available information.
Thanks to Dr Ruperti, by 1970, Unisa’s library had one of the best selections of official publications on education in South Africa.
