Articles
LEADING ELECTRONICS ENGINEER AMONGST FIVE NEW MEMBERS OF THE SCOTTISH ENGINEERING HALL OF FAME
07 October 2023
Dr Carol Marsh, OBE is one of five engineers to be inducted into the Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame. Carol was born in Edinburgh and is an alumna of no less than five Scottish universities: Napier, Heriot Watt, Strathclyde, Glasgow and Edinburgh in the field of electronics engineering, specialising in Field Programmable Gate Arrays and is now head of Digital Systems at Celestia UK.
Prior to Celestia, Carol was acting Head of Electronics for Leonardo’s Edinburgh operation and she has also given valuable pro-bono work as a Vice President of IET, Council member of IES, board member of Engineering Scotland, Vice President of the Royal Scottish Society of Arts, and Past President of the Women’s Engineering Society. She was Strathclyde University’s Alumna of the Year in 2022.
She is joined by Sir Nigel Gresley, designer of the Flying Scotsman; Sir Alexander Gibb, who built Rosyth Dockyard, then established the world’s largest civil engineering consultancy; David Kirkaldy, pioneer of material testing; and William Symington, the first to design a vessel powered by steam.
Their induction was announced at the annual Institution of Engineers in Scotland (IES) James Watt Dinner, held in Glasgow on Friday 6 October 2023.
Gordon Masterton, Founder and Chairman of Judges for the Hall of Fame, said: " The Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame was launched in 2011 and the 56 members tell the story of 450 years of world-beating engineering innovators who created huge improvements in the quality of life and economy of Scotland, the United Kingdom and, through the impact of their discoveries and the Scots’ propensity for travel to find work, the world. Celebrating these great Scottish engineers, native born or adopted, is our mission.”
Notes to editors and Further Information
Website: https://engineeringhalloffame.org/
The James Watt Dinner is the annual dinner of IES, Scotland's multi-disciplinary engineering institution founded in 1857. Each year it features the announcements of the latest inductees to the Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame tells the story of Scotland’s engineering contribution to our civilisation through the achievements and lives of the inductees. There are now 56 inductees, each an inspirational role model whose lives inspire young people into engineering.
The other new inductees
Sir Nigel Gresley (1876-1951)
Herbert Nigel Gresley was born in Edinburgh, but rather by accident, during his pregnant mother’s visit there to consult with a gynaecologist. He was raised and educated in England.
He became the Chief Mechanical Engineer to the London and Northeastern Railway and designed the locomotive that still holds the speed record for a steam locomotive of 126 miles per hour. Sir Nigel Gresley cemented his early connection to Scotland by designing the most famous locomotive in the world, The Flying Scotsman, 100 years old this year, and still attracting crowds wherever it goes.
Sir Alexander Gibb (1872-1958)
Alexander Gibb was born in Broughty Ferry to a long line of civil engineers. His great grandfather had worked for Thomas Telford. Educated at Rugby and UCL, then articled to John Wolfe Barry and Henry Marc Brunel in London, he joined his father’s company and oversaw their largest project, the construction of Rosyth Naval Dockyard.
After completing Rosyth Dockyard, Sir Alexander Gibb had a distinguished career in the first world war as Chief Engineer for Ports, knighted in 1918 for his war service, served as Chief Civil Engineer to the Admiralty, then the Ministry of Transport. He founded his own firm. Sir Alexander Gibb and Partners in 1922 and built up the largest engineering consultancy in the UK. He was President of ICHemE in 1927 and of ICE in 1936. He also wrote “The Story of Telford”. The Arrol Gibb Innovation Campus at Rosyth is now named after two of our Hall of Fame inductees.
David Kirkaldy (1820-1897)
David Kirkaldy was born in Dundee, educated at the University of Edinburgh, and apprenticed to Robert Napier’s Vulcan foundry in Glasgow in 1843, designing steamships, engines and boilers.
By 1847, at the age of 27, he was Chief Draughtsman and Calculator. Later he started a huge programme of testing of iron and steel properties, published in 1862, and resigned to design his own Universal Testing Machine, patented in 1863. His robust slogan “Facts Not Opinions” was inscribed above his new premises.
David Kirkaldy established the Kirkaldy Testing House in Southwark, now a museum, and a business that lasted three generations. They tested materials for the Eads Bridge in St Louis, girders from the Tay Bridge, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Festival of Britain Skylon and the Comet crash investigations.
William Symington (1764-1831)
William Symington was born in Leadhills in 1764 and worked in the Wanlockhead lead mines. The company bought a Boulton & Watt steam engine in 1777 and young William studied this, and after attending the University of Edinburgh for a few months in 1786, began experimenting with his own variations, building a model steam driven road carriage he patented in 1787. He was 23. A year later he turned to marine propulsion and the first trials of a steam powered vessel were made on Dalswinton Loch in Dumfriesshire, promising but not wholly successful. However, Lord Dundas, Governor of the Forth & Clyde Canal, later commissioned him to build two experimental tugboats.
The tugs were both named Charlotte Dundas, and they worked well, but were not purchased, fearing that their speed would cause bank erosion. Many others, like Robert Fulton and Henry Bell, spotted the potential of steam navigation and Symington had to fight many cases to defend his patent. But he got there first – a true pioneer.
ENDS
IT Entrepreneur, and Hip-joint Researcher Amongst Four New Members of the Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame
08 October 2022
Ian Ritchie, CBE is one of four engineers to be inducted into the Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame. Ian studied Computer Science at Heriot-Watt University, then joined ICL at Dalkeith Palace, and in 1984 formed his own company, Office Workstations Limited, and a year later OWL International Inc in Seattle. OWL became the first and largest supplier of Hypertext/Hypermedia authoring tools for personal computers (as used now in web-browsing). Panasonic bought OWL in 1989. His career since then on multiple company boards, in information technology, start-up engineering and philanthropic organisations in Scotland, has more than made up for any disappointment at being the man who turned down Tim Berners Lee who pitched his idea for a world wide web in 1990, the subject of Ian’s much-viewed TED talk. https://www.ted.com/talks/ian_ritchie_the_day_i_turned_down_tim_berners_lee?language=en
He is joined by Anne Neville, an outstanding researcher into hip joints; David Boyle, born in Johnstone, the first to patent an Ice making machine establishing his business in Chicago; and Francis Elgar, first naval architect in the world to hold a professorial chair, the John Elder Chair at Glasgow University (see page 2 for further details of these three).
Their induction was announced at the annual Institution of Engineers in Scotland (IES) James Watt dinner, held in Glasgow last night. (Friday 7 October 2022).
Gordon Masterton, Founder and Chairman of Judges for the Hall of Fame, said: " The Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame was launched in 2011 and the 51 members tell the story of 450 years of world-beating engineering innovators who created huge improvements in the quality of life and economy of Scotland, the United Kingdom and, through the impact of their discoveries and the Scots’ propensity for travel to find work, the world. Celebrating these is our mission.”
Welcoming the announcement of the new inductees, Paul Sheerin, Chief Executive of Scottish Engineering, said: “Once again, the annual inductees to our Hall of Fame underlines the breadth of inspirational Engineering role models we enjoy in Scotland, spanning IT, advanced materials research, naval architecture and shipbuilding and refrigeration. It’s especially welcome to see Ian Ritchie and Anne Neville’s induction underlining the importance of Scotland’s current excellence in computing, information technology and high-quality research.”
Airbus A350 Chief Engineer Is One of Four New Members of the Engineering Hall of Fame
05 October 2019
Gordon McConnell, who led the design of the Airbus 350, is one of four engineers to be inducted into the Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame.
He is joined by Mary (Molly) Fergusson, the first woman to lead a major civil engineering consultancy in the UK and strong supporter of the Women’s Engineering Society celebrating its centenary this year; William Murdoch, the “third man” in the success story of Boulton & Watt steam engines, the enterprise that pioneered the industrial revolution, and John Scott Russell, another steam carriage designer but better known for building the biggest ship in the world at the time, the ‘Great Eastern’.
Their induction was announced at the annual Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders in Scotland (IESIS) James Watt dinner, held in Glasgow last night. (Friday 4 October 2019)
Gordon Masterton, Founder and Chairman of Judges for the Hall of Fame, said: "Gordon McConnell is a great addition to our celebration of Scottish Engineering achievement. Developing the complex A350XWB aircraft involved pioneering design, analysis, simulation and test work by thousands of skilled engineers on all five continents of the world. Leading this huge engineering team effort to meet stringent safety requirements, performance and design targets and industrial milestones was an exceptional achievement, reflecting in its record sales for Airbus."
Collectively, the 39 members now in the Hall of Fame tell the story of 450 years of world-beating engineering innovators who created huge improvements in the quality of life and economy of Scotland, the United Kingdom and, through the many itinerant engineering Scots like Gordon McConnell, the world.
Welcoming the announcement of the new inductees, Paul Sheerin, Chief Executive of Scottish Engineering, said: "Once again, the annual inductees to our Hall of Fame underlines the breadth of inspirational Engineering role models we enjoy in Scotland, spanning aerospace, civil, mechanical and naval engineering. It’s especially welcome to see Gordon McConnell’s induction underlining the importance to Scotland’s aerospace industry of the many branches that Scottish Aviation Ltd was the root of, and this is mirrored in Gordon’s own varied and hugely influential career."
The Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame was launched in 2011 by The Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders in Scotland (IESIS), and is supported by engineering institutions, museums and trade bodies in Scotland, including Scottish Engineering.
Queensferry Crossing Bridge Designer Is One of Four New Inductees to the Engineering Hall of Fame
06 October 2018
Naeem Hussain, who led the illustrative concept and design of the Queensferry Crossing bridge, is one of four engineers to join the Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame.
He is joined by David Elder, the father of marine engineering on the Clyde; William Burton, whose water and sanitary improvements are credited with saving Japan from cholera and Victoria Drummond, the debutante who turned her back on high society for a successful and meaningful 40-year career as a ship's chief engineer.
Their induction was announced at the annual Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders in Scotland (IESIS) James Watt dinner, held in Glasgow last night. (Friday 5 October, 2018)
Gordon Masterton, Chairman of Judges for the Hall of Fame, said: "We are delighted to welcome Naeem into this pantheon of Scottish Engineering achievement. The Queensferry Crossing bridge is already an iconic addition to Scotland's engineering heritage, much admired across the world. Our three Forth Bridges are emblematic of three centuries of world-leading bridge design, and the new bridge sits comfortably, and proudly, alongside its neighbours. Naeem's concept was not changed in the design-build contract and he deserves the credit for his engineering flair in creating a beautiful, functional structure."
Collectively, the 35 members now in the Hall of Fame tell a story of 450 years of world-beating engineering innovation that has led to massive improvements in the quality of life and economy in Scotland, the United Kingdom and world-wide.
Welcoming the announcement of the new inductees, Jim Young, Chairman of ICE Scotland, said: "It is wonderful to see great engineers getting recognition like this. Naeem Hussain's conceptual design of the Queensferry Crossing has transformed the Scottish landscape and created a wonderful new infrastructure link that will stimulate the economy. ICE is celebrating civil engineering icons in its 200th anniversary year and the Forth Bridges are Scotland's greatest examples."
The Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame was launched in 2011 by The Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders in Scotland (IESIS), and is supported by engineering institutions, museums and trade bodies in Scotland, including the Institution of Civil Engineers.