Hendrik Stephanus van Zyl

Hendrik Stephanus van Zyl KC (27 January 1876 – 26 October 1955) was a South African judge and politician.

Early life Van Zyl was born on the farm Hexrivier in the Clanwilliam district, the son and youngest child of Paulus Hendrik Stephanus van Zyl and his second wife Maria Christina Visser, for whom it was also a second marriage. He first started school at the age of nine and made rapid progress. In June 1892 he enrolled at Victoria College, Stellenbosch and two years later he obtained seventh place in the first class in the Matriculation examination. He then earned a B.A. degree from the University of the Cape of Good Hope. To further his studies, he went to England in 1898 and entered St John's College, Cambridge, where he became involved in political debate and in 1901 was elected the president of the Cambridge Union.

Personal life Van Zyl was involved in various other cultural and community organisations and was the chairman of the Historical Monuments Commission from 1942 to 1954, the South African Public Library and from 1933 to 1950 he served as vice-chancellor of the University of Stellenbosch.

Van Zyl married Dorothy Constantia Sauer on 7 September 1907 and four children were born of the marriage. Their eldest son, Jacobus Wilhelmus (Helm) van Zyl, also became a judge of the Cape Provincial Division and later the Judge President.