Desmond Mpilo Tutu was born in 1931 in Klerksdorp, Transvaal. His father was a teacher, and he himself was educated at Johannesburg Bantu High School. After leaving school he trained first as a teacher at Pretoria Bantu Normal College and in 1954 he graduated from the University of South Africa. After three years as a high school teacher he began to study theology, being ordained as a priest in 1960. The years 1962-66 were devoted to further theological study in England leading up to a Master of Theology. From 1967 to 1972 he taught theology in South Africa before returning to England for three years as the assistant director of a theological institute in London. In 1975 he was appointed Dean of St. Mary's Cathedral in Johannesburg, the first black to hold that position. From 1976 to 1978 he was Bishop of Lesotho, and in 1978 became the first black General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches. Tutu is an honorary doctor of a number of leading universities in the USA, Britain and Germany.

More recently, the Most Reverand Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu visited the St Mary's Bletchingley church on th 8th of  February 2004 to share the 10:15 am service as well as attend our monthly lunch.

Born: 7th October 1931, Klerksdorp, Transvaal. 
Parents: Father was a school teacher. Mother relatively uneducated.
Married: 2nd July 1955. 
Wife: Leah Nomalizo Tutu. 
Children: Trevor Thamsanqa, Theresa Thandeka, Naomi Nontombi, Mpho Andrea.
 
1945-1950 High School Education - Johannesburg Bantu High School, Western Native Township up to Matric.
1951-1953 Teachers Diploma at Pretoria Bantu Normal College.
1954-BA (UNISA)
1954-Teacher at Johannesburg Bantu High School.
1955-1958 Teacher at Munsieville High School, Krugersdorp.
1958-1960 St. Peters Theological College, Rosettenville, Johannesburg for Ordination Training. Licentiate in Theology
1960- Ordained as Deacon, Johannesburg, served title in Benoni Location. 
1961- Ordained Priest.
1962-1965 Part-time curate, St Alban's (lived with family at Golder's Green, London). 
1965- B.D. Hon. (London).
1966- M.Th (London) lived in Blechingley, Surrey, part-time curate St Mary's.
1967-1969 Joined Staff of Federal Theological Seminary, Alice, Cape. Chaplain - University of Fort Hare. 
1970-1972 Lecturer, Department of Theology, U.B.L.S. Roma, Lesotho. 
1972-1975 Associate Director, Theological Education Fund of the World Council of Churches based in Bromley, Kent. Lived in Grove Park, London and was Honorary curate of St Augustine's. 
1975-1976 Dean of Johannesburg. 
1976-1978 Bishop of Lesotho. 
1978-1985 General Secretary, South African Council of Churches. 
1985-1986 Bishop of Johannesburg.
1986-1996 Archbishop of Cape Town.
Retired 1996
 
Conferences
"Salvation Today" Conference in Bangkok, Thailand.
All Africa Conference of Churches General Assembly, Lusaka
Anglican Consultative Council - Port of Spain
Lambeth Conference, Canterbury.
WCC 5th Assembly in 1975, Nairobi 
WCC 6th Assembly in 1983, Vancouver. 
 
Awards/Writings
Elected Fellow of King's College, London (1978).
Honorary Doctorate of Divinity from General Theological Seminary, USA (May, 1978).
Honorary Doctorate of Civil Law from Kent University, England (July 1978).
Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Harvard, USA (June 1979).
Prix d'Athene (Onassis Foundation) (1980).
Honorary Doctorate of Theology from Ruhr University, Bochum (November 1981).
Honorary Doctorate of Sacred Theology - Columbia University (Aug 1982).
Author of "Hope and Suffering" (Sept 1983).
Author of several articles and reviews. Author of "Crying in the Wilderness".
Designated member of International Social Prospects Academy (1983 Nov).
The Family of Man Gold Medal Award (1983 December).
Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters - St Paul's College, Lawrenceville (1984 January).
Honorary Doctorate of Law from Claremont Graduate School (1984 May).
Honorary Doctorate of Sacred Theology from Dickinson College (1984 May).
Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award of Annual Black American Heroes and Heroines Day - U.S.A. (1984 May).
Honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Aberdeen University, Scotland (July,1984).
Doctor of Human Letters, Howard University - U.S.A. (1984).
Nobel Peace Prize - Oslo, Norway (1985). In 1985, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize because of his quest for a non-violent end to apartheid.

Bibliography
 
An African Prayer Book
by Desmond Tutu (Editor), Desmond Tutu

Crying in the Wilderness : The Struggle for Justice in South Africa
by Desmond Tutu. Edited by John Webster.
(Sermons, speeches, articles, press statements, 1978-1980.)

Esperanza Y Sufrimiento
by Desmond Tutu

The Essential Desmond Tutu
by Desmond Tutu, John Allen
 
God at 2000
by Marcus J. Borg (Editor), Karen Armstrong, Joan Chittister, Diana Eck, Lawrence Kushner, Ross MacKenzie, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Desmond Tutu. Edited by Ross MacKenzie.

God Has a Dream : A Vision of Hope for Our Time
by Desmond Tutu

Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1984. (From the period 1976-1982.)

Hammering Swords into Ploughshares : Essays in Honor of Archbishop Mpilo Desmond Tutu
by Desmond Tutu, Itumeleng J. Mosala, Buti Tlhagale

The Hebrew Prophets : Visionaries of the Ancient World
by Lawrence Boadt (Editor), Lawrence Boadt, Desmond Tutu,  (Foreward by Desmond Tutu)

Hope and Suffering : Sermons and Speeches
by Desmond Tutu, Mothobi Mutloatse. Edited by John Webster.

Mandela
by Charlene Smith. Foreward by Desmond Tutu.

No Future without Forgiveness
by Desmond Tutu

The Rainbow People of God: The Making of a Peaceful Revolution
by Desmond Tutu
Edited by John Allen. New York: Doubleday, 1994.
(Speeches, letters and sermons from 1976 to 1994, woven together in narrative by his media secretary.)

Reconciliation: The Ubuntu Theology of Desmond Tutu by Michael Jesse Battle, Desmond Mpilo Tutu 

Some Evidence of Things Seen : Children of South Africa
by Paul Alberts, Albie Sachs, Desmond Tutu

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa Report
by South Africa, Desmond Tutu

The Words of Desmond Tutu
by Desmond Tutu