Nelson Mandela

=== Clarkebury, Healdtown, and Fort Hare: 1934–1940 ===
[[File:Young Mandela.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Photograph of Mandela, taken in Umtata, 1937]]

Intending to gain skills needed to become a [[privy council]]lor for the Thembu royal house, Mandela began his secondary education in 1933 at [[Clarkebury]] Methodist High School in [[Engcobo]], a Western-style institution that was the largest school for black Africans in [[Thembuland]].{{sfnm|1a1=Mandela|1y=1994|1pp=45–47|2a1=Smith|2y=2010|2pp=27, 31|3a1=Meredith|3y=2010|3pp=12–13|4a1=Sampson|4y=2011|4p=15}} Made to socialise with other students on an equal basis, he claimed that he lost his "stuck up" attitude, becoming best friends with a girl for the first time; he began playing sports and developed his lifelong love of gardening.{{sfn|Mandela|1994|pp=48–50}} He completed his Junior Certificate in two years,{{sfn|Sampson|2011|p=17}} and in 1937 he moved to [[Healdtown Comprehensive School|Healdtown]], the Methodist college in [[Fort Beaufort]] attended by most Thembu royalty, including Justice.{{sfnm|1a1=Mandela|1y=1994|1p=52|2a1=Smith|2y=2010|2pp=31–32|3a1=Meredith|3y=2010|3p=14|4a1=Sampson|4y=2011|4pp=17–18}} The headmaster emphasised the superiority of [[Culture of Europe|European culture]] and government, but Mandela became increasingly interested in native [[Culture of Africa|African culture]], making his first non-Xhosa friend, a speaker of [[Sotho language|Sotho]], and coming under the influence of one of his favourite teachers, a Xhosa who broke taboo by marrying a Sotho.{{sfnm|1a1=Mandela|1y=1994|1pp=53–54|2a1=Smith|2y=2010|2p=32|3a1=Meredith|3y=2010|3pp=14–15|4a1=Sampson|4y=2011|4pp=18–21}} Mandela spent much of his spare time at Healdtown as a long-distance runner and boxer, and in his second year he became a [[prefect]].{{sfnm|1a1=Mandela|1y=1994|1p=56|2a1=Smith|2y=2010|2p=32|3a1=Meredith|3y=2010|3p=15}}

In 1939, with Jongintaba's backing, Mandela began work on a [[Bachelor of Arts|BA degree]] at the [[University of Fort Hare]], an elite black institution of approximately 150 students in [[Alice, Eastern Cape]]. He studied English, [[anthropology]], politics, "native administration", and [[Roman Dutch law]] in his first year, desiring to become an interpreter or clerk in the [[INTAF|Native Affairs Department]].{{sfnm|1a1=Mandela|1y=1994|1pp=62–65|2a1=Lodge|2y=2006|2p=9|3a1=Smith|3y=2010|3pp=33–34|4a1=Meredith|4y=2010|4pp=15–18|5a1=Sampson|5y=2011|5pp=21, 25}} Mandela stayed in the Wesley House dormitory, befriending his own kinsman, [[Kaiser Matanzima|K. D. Matanzima]], as well as [[Oliver Tambo]], who became a close friend and comrade for decades to come.{{sfnm|1a1=Mandela|1y=1994|1pp=62–63|2a1=Smith|2y=2010|2pp=33–34|3a1=Meredith|3y=2010|3pp=17–19|4a1=Sampson|4y=2011|4pp=24–25}} He took up ballroom dancing,{{sfnm|1a1=Mandela|1y=1994|1pp=67–69|2a1=Smith|2y=2010|2p=34|3a1=Meredith|3y=2010|3p=18|4a1=Sampson|4y=2011|4p=25}} performed in a drama society play about [[Abraham Lincoln]],{{sfnm|1a1=Mandela|1y=1994|1p=68|2a1=Lodge|2y=2006|2p=10|3a1=Smith|3y=2010|3p=35|4a1=Meredith|4y=2010|4p=18|5a1=Sampson|5y=2011|5p=25}} and gave Bible classes in the local community as part of the Student Christian Association.{{sfnm|1a1=Mandela|1y=1994|1p=68|2a1=Lodge|2y=2006|2p=10|3a1=Meredith|3y=2010|3p=18|4a1=Forster|4y=2014|4p=93}} Although he had friends who held connections to the [[African National Congress]] (ANC) who wanted South Africa to be independent of the [[British Empire]], Mandela avoided any involvement with the nascent movement,{{sfn|Sampson|2011|p=25}} and became a vocal supporter of the [[British Empire in World War II|British war effort]] when the [[Second World War]] broke out.{{sfnm|1a1=Mandela|1y=1994|1pp=70–71|2a1=Lodge|2y=2006|2p=11|3a1=Meredith|3y=2010|3p=19|4a1=Sampson|4y=2011|4p=26}} At the end of his first year he became involved in a [[students' representative council]] (SRC) boycott against the quality of food, for which he was suspended from the university; he never returned to complete his degree.{{sfnm|1a1=Benson|1y=1986|1p=21|2a1=Mandela|2y=1994|2pp=78–86|3a1=Lodge|3y=2006|3pp=11–12|4a1=Smith|4y=2010|4pp=34–35|5a1=Meredith|5y=2010|5pp=19–20|6a1=Sampson|6y=2011|6pp=26–27}}