To the Editors:

Ruth First, assassinated by a letter bomb at the university in Maputo, Mozambique, on August 17, 1982, was a brilliant writer, scholar and teacher, and a creative and courageous revolutionary against the regime of racism in South Africa. A Memorial Trust in her name has been registered as a charity in Britain, with the objectives of establishing a resource centre to service and support Southern African studies; provide travel and research grants; fund suitable projects and, as appropriate, publish their findings. Sponsors of the Trust include the Prime Minister of Sweden, Olof Palme; Archbishop Trevor Huddleston; Sir Hugh Casson, President of the Royal Academy of Art; Dorothy Hodgkin O.M.; and distinguished academics in several countries.

Ruth had many admirers in the United States, and we hope that they, along with others who support the objectives of the Trust, will help us to create a memorial worthy of Ruth’s life and work. Contributions should be addressed to The Ruth First Memorial Trust and sent to the Chairman, Ronald Segal, Old Manor House, Manor Road, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England.

Ronald Segal

Walton-on-Thames, England

This Issue

February 2, 1984