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Simon Biesheuvel

1908 – 1991

South African psychologist

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About Simon Biesheuvel

Lived 1908 – 1991 (aged 82–83). Simon Biesheuvel was a psychologist.

Simon Biesheuvel (3 April 1908 – 13 June 1991) was a Dutch-born South African psychologist. He is considered to be one of the most influential psychologists in the history of South Africa, and a 1991 obituary described him as "the doyen of psychologists in South Africa." In recognition of his research on African perceptions of European customs, he was honored by the South African Association for the Advancement of Science with their Durban Medal in 1956. He received the South Africa Medal from the same Association in 1962. In 1959, he delivered the fifteenth annual Alfred and Winifred Hoernlé Memorial Lecture.

Work Biesheuvel is noted for a 1943 monograph in which he argued for an environmental interpretation of the gap in intelligence test scores between whites and blacks in South Africa. In making these arguments, Biesheuvel also criticized the views of hereditarian psychologists such as M. L. Fick and Carl Brigham.

Personal life and death Biesheuvel married Erica Sharpley, and together they had two daughters: Mary Ann and Sally. Biesheuvel died on 13 June 1991 at his home in Johannesburg, South Africa.

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Important facts

Birth century
Died
1991, Johannesburg
Occupation
Education
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Stellenbosch University, University of the Witwatersrand
Awards
Southern Africa Association for the Advancement of Science

People in Simon Biesheuvel's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Simon Biesheuvel's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Simon Biesheuvel?

South African psychologist

When was Simon Biesheuvel born?

Simon Biesheuvel was born on 3 April 1908 in Rotterdam.

When did Simon Biesheuvel die?

Simon Biesheuvel died in 1991 in Johannesburg.

What was Simon Biesheuvel's occupation?

Simon Biesheuvel was a psychologist.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Simon Biesheuvel

· Wikidata: Q96279597

· DBpedia: Simon Biesheuvel

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Simon Biesheuvel. https://biography.guide/simon-biesheuvel/

MLA: "Simon Biesheuvel." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/simon-biesheuvel/.

Chicago: "Simon Biesheuvel." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/simon-biesheuvel/.

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