Desmond Tutu
Curriculum Vitae
| Born: 7th October 1931, Klerksdorp, Transvaal. |
| Parents: Father was a school teacher. Mother relatively uneducated. |
| Married: 2nd July 1955. |
| Wife: Leah Nomalizo Tutu. |
| Children: Trevor Thamsanqa, Theresa Thandeka, Naomi Nontombi, Mpho Andrea. |
| 1945-1950 High School Education – Johannesburg Bantu High School, Western Native Township up to Matric. |
| 1951-1953 Teachers Diploma at Pretoria Bantu Normal College. |
| 1954-BA (UNISA) |
| 1954-Teacher at Johannesburg Bantu High School. |
| 1955-1958 Teacher at Munsieville High School, Krugersdorp. |
| 1958-1960 St. Peters Theological College, Rosettenville, Johannesburg for Ordination Training. Licentiate in Theology |
| 1960- Ordained as Deacon, Johannesburg, served title in Benoni Location. |
| 1961- Ordained Priest. |
| 1962-1965 Part-time curate, St Alban’s (lived with family at Golder’s Green, London). |
| 1965- B.D. Hon. (London). |
| 1966- M.Th (London) lived in Blechingley, Surrey, part-time curate St Mary’s. |
| 1967-1969 Joined Staff of Federal Theological Seminary, Alice, Cape. Chaplain – University of Fort Hare. |
| 1970-1972 Lecturer, Department of Theology, U.B.L.S. Roma, Lesotho. |
| 1972-1975 Associate Director, Theological Education Fund of the World Council of Churches based in Bromley, Kent. Lived in Grove Park, London and was Honorary curate of St Augustine’s. |
| 1975-1976 Dean of Johannesburg. |
| 1976-1978 Bishop of Lesotho. |
| 1978-1985 General Secretary, South African Council of Churches. |
| 1985- date Bishop of Johannesburg. |
| Conferences |
| “Salvation Today” Conference in Bangkok, Thailand. |
| All Africa Conference of Churches General Assembly, Lusaka |
| Anglican Consultative Council – Port of Spain |
| Lambeth Conference, Canterbury. |
| WCC 5th Assembly in 1975, Nairobi |
| WCC 6th Assembly in 1983, Vancouver. |
| Awards/Writings |
| Elected Fellow of King’s College, London (1978). |
| Honorary Doctorate of Divinity from General Theological Seminary, USA (May, 1978). |
| Honorary Doctorate of Civil Law from Kent University, England (July 1978). |
| Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Harvard, USA (June 1979). |
| Prix d’Athene (Onassis Foundation) (1980). |
| Honorary Doctorate of Theology from Ruhr University, Bochum (November 1981). |
| Honorary Doctorate of Sacred Theology – Columbia University (Aug 1982). |
| Author of “Hope and Suffering” (Sept 1983). |
| Author of several articles and reviews. Author of “Crying in the Wilderness”. |
| Designated member of International Social Prospects Academy (1983 Nov). |
| The Family of Man Gold Medal Award (1983 December). |
| Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters – St Paul’s College, Lawrenceville (1984 January). |
| Honorary Doctorate of Law from Claremont Graduate School (1984 May). |
| Honorary Doctorate of Sacred Theology from Dickinson College (1984 May). |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award of Annual Black American Heroes and Heroines Day – U.S.A. (1984 May). |
| Honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Aberdeen University, Scotland (July, 1984). |
| Doctor of Human Letters, Howard University – U.S.A. (1984). |
| Nobel Peace Prize – Oslo, Norway (1984). |
This CV was written at the time of the award and later published in the book series Les Prix Nobel/Nobel Lectures. The information is sometimes updated with an addendum submitted by the Laureate. To cite this document, always state the source as shown above.
Desmond Tutu died on 26 December 2021.
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