13 Facts About Frank Nabarro

Frank Reginald Nunes Nabarro MBE OMS FRS was an English-born South African physicist and one of the pioneers of solid-state physics, which underpins much of 21st-century technology.

Frank Nabarro built the physics department into one of the strongest in the country and moulded it into a leader in metallurgical research.

Frank Nabarro furthermore showed how theoretical and experimental estimates of this stress could be reconciled.

Frank Nabarro set up three teams, to consider the academic implications, the finding of land to accommodate a large influx of students, and the financial aspects.

Frank Nabarro had to estimate how many new students the university could expect and when, how much accommodation they would need, and the logistics of moving a large number of students efficiently from one class to another.

Frank Nabarro's team predicted that half of the university's student body would be "black" by the year 2000.

Frank Nabarro was one of five founding members of the South African Institute of Physics in 1955 who attended the jubilee celebration of the institute in 2005.

Frank Nabarro was a vice-president of the institute and throughout his life he remained a loyal and enthusiastic supporter of its role in promoting Physics in South Africa.

Frank Nabarro married Margaret Constance Dalziel on 25 June 1948.

Frank Nabarro hosted regular evening sessions for undergraduates at his home, during which lively physics discussions would take place.

Frank Nabarro was an avid reader of Marcel Proust, and had an enduring love of classical music, which he shared with his wife Margaret, who was a noted ethno-musicologist.

Frank Nabarro was Honorary President of the Johannesburg Musical Society, and in memory of his wife, he established the Margaret Dalziel Nabarro Chamber Concert Fund.

Frank Nabarro was vehemently opposed to apartheid and worked to permit the admission of non-white students to South African universities.