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Frederick John Harris

1937 – 1965

Member of the anti-apartheid African Resistance Movement

Politician Anti-apartheid activist
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About Frederick John Harris

Lived 1937 – 1965 (aged 27). Frederick John Harris was a South African politician and anti-apartheid activist.

Frederick John Harris (4 July 1937 – 1 April 1965) was a South African schoolteacher and anti-apartheid campaigner who turned to activism and was executed after a bomb attack on a railway station. He was Chairman of SANROC (the South African Non Racial Olympic Committee), which in 1964 petitioned the International Olympic Committee to have South Africa excluded from the Olympics for fielding a white-only team. After being arrested for his political activities, he became a member of the African Resistance Movement (ARM).

Legacy A memorial to remember Harris's life was held around the 40th anniversary of his death at Freedom Park in Pretoria.

Harris was the only white person executed for crimes committed in resistance to apartheid. All those executed for such crimes were honoured by South Africa's president on the occasion of the launch of the Gallows Museum at the C Max Pretoria Central Correctional Centre on 15 December 2011:

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Important facts

People in Frederick John Harris's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Frederick John Harris's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Frederick John Harris?

Member of the anti-apartheid African Resistance Movement

When was Frederick John Harris born?

Frederick John Harris was born on 4 July 1937.

When did Frederick John Harris die?

Frederick John Harris died on 1 April 1965 in Pretoria.

What was Frederick John Harris's occupation?

Frederick John Harris was a politician and anti-apartheid activist.

What nationality was Frederick John Harris?

Frederick John Harris was South African.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Frederick John Harris

· Wikidata: Q6234123

· DBpedia: John Harris (activist)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Frederick John Harris. https://biography.guide/frederick-john-harris/

MLA: "Frederick John Harris." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/frederick-john-harris/.

Chicago: "Frederick John Harris." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/frederick-john-harris/.

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