Harry Frederick Oppenheimer (28 October 1908 – 19 August 2000), was a prominent South African businessman and one of the world's richest men. In 2004 he was voted 60th in the SABC3's Great South Africans. 1628 - The Siege of La Rochelle, which had been ongoing for 14 months, ends with Huguenot surrender 1664 - The Duke of York and Albanys Maritime Regiment of Foot later to be known as the Royal Marines is established. ... 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... August 19 is the 231st day of the year (232nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... Great South Africans was a South African television series that aired on SABC3 and hosted by Noeleen Maholwana Sangqu and Denis Beckett. ...

Family origins

The son of Ernest Oppenheimer (who was soon to found Anglo American Corporation, and become chairman of De Beers Consolidated Mines), Harry was born to an assimilated Jewish family of German origins in Kimberley, the original centre for diamond mining in South Africa, and lived most of his life in Johannesburg. He had a formal Bar mitzvah ("coming of age") ceremony in the Kimberly synagogue when he turned thirteen. Sir Ernest Oppenheimer (22 May 1880 – November 25, 1957) – born in Friedberg, Germany – was a diamond, gold mining and financial entrepreneur, and founder of the Anglo American Corporation of South Africa. ... Anglo American plc is a world-wide group of companies, originally founded in South Africa as a mining enterprise but now extending into other areas. ... The De Beers Group is a Johannesburg and London-based diamond mining and trading corporation. ... This article describes some ethnic, historic, and cultural aspects of the Jewish identity; for a consideration of the Jewish religion, refer to the article Judaism. ... Kimberley is a town in South Africa, and the capital of the Northern Cape. ... For other uses, including the shape â—Š, see Diamond (disambiguation). ... Chuquicamata, the largest open pit copper mine in the world, Chile. ... , City motto: Unity in Development Province Gauteng Mayor Amos Masondo Area  - % water 1,644 km² 0. ... When a Jewish child reaches the age of maturity (12 years and one day for girls, 13 years and one day for boys) that child becomes responsible for him/herself under Jewish law; at this point a boy is said to become Bar Mitzvah (בר מצווה, son of the commandment... Lesko synagogue, Poland A synagogue (Hebrew: בית כנסת ; beit knesset, house of assembly; Yiddish: שול, shul) is a Jewish place of religious worship. ...

Education and marriage

After completing his primary schooling in Johannesburg, he attended Charterhouse School in England, before going on to study at Christ Church, Oxford University, graduating in 1931 in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. When he married his wife Bridget, he chose to enter the Anglican Church, yet nevertheless he remained a supporter of Jewish causes during his entire life. He authorised the flow of diamonds to Israel's important diamond-sorting and diamond-cutting industry. Charterhouse School is a British public school, located in Godalming in the county of Surrey. ... College name Christ Church Named after Jesus Christ Established 1546 Sister College Trinity College Dean The Very Revd Christopher Andrew Lewis JCR President William Dorsey Undergraduates 426 MCR or GCR President {{{MCR President}}} Graduates 154 Home page Boat Club Christ Church (Latin: Ædes Christi, the temple or house of Christ... The University of Oxford, located in the city of Oxford in England, is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. ... 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) is a popular interdisciplinary degree which combines study from the three eponymous disciplines. ... The Anglican Communion is a world-wide organisation of Anglican Churches. ...

Chairman of Anglo American Corporation and De Beers

Harry Oppenheimer was the chairman of Anglo American Corporation for a quarter of a century and chairman of De Beers Consolidated Mines for 27 years until he retired from those positions in 1982 and 1984 respectively. His son Nicky Oppenheimer became Deputy Chairman of Anglo in 1983 and Chairman of De Beers in 1998. He subsequently resigned as Deputy Chairman of Anglo in 2001. Anglo American plc is a world-wide group of companies, originally founded in South Africa as a mining enterprise but now extending into other areas. ... The De Beers Group is a London and Johannesburg based diamond mining corporation. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nicholas Nicky F. Oppenheimer (born 8 June 1945) is a billionaire South African businessman, the chairman of the De Beers diamond mining company and its subsidiary, the Diamond Trading Company. ...

Politics

He also spent some time as the Member of Parliament for Kimberley (1948 to 1957) and became the opposition spokesman on economics, finance and constitutional affairs. His opposition to apartheid was well known as were his philanthropy and business acumen. 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A segregated beach in South Africa, 1982. ...

He was also extremely generous to the official philanthropies of the State of Israel. He personally directed that Israel receive the necessary diamond raw products from De Beers in order to establish itself as one of the world's diamond polishing and exporting countries. For other uses, including the shape â—Š, see Diamond (disambiguation). ...

Anti-Apartheid activism

In the 1970s and 1980s, he financed the anti-apartheid Progressive Federal Party , now known as the Democratic Alliance. Some people believe that he could have done more to end the regime, but within his sphere of influence he is believed to have done more than most of his fellow-businessmen. The Progressive Federal Party (PFP) was a South African political party formed in 1977. ... The Democratic Alliance (DA) is a liberal South African political party, and the official opposition to the ruling African National Congress. ...

External links

• Harry Oppenheimer (His life and achievements)