Articles
IT Entrepreneu, 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.
Scottish Space Engineer Is One of Four New Inductees to the Engineering Hall of Fame
07 October 2017
Craig Clark, the founder and chief executive of Clyde Space, Scotland's fast growing satellite company, is one of four Scottish engineers to join the Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame. He is joined by William Fairbairn, the entrepreneurial engineer who built a huge manufacturing empire in Manchester in the 19th Century; Elijah McCoy, the son of a fugitive slave, who was sent to Scotland to be trained as an engineer; and Anne Gillespie Shaw, a pioneering production engineer practising in the 1930s to the 1970s. Their induction follows the annual Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders in Scotland (IESIS) James Watt dinner, held in Glasgow last night. (Friday 6 October, 2017)
Gordon Masterton, Chairman of Judges for the Hall of Fame, said: "We are delighted to welcome Craig into this pantheon of Scottish Engineering. His story demonstrates that Scotland is still active and successful in growing cutting-edge engineering businesses. Leading Scotland into the space age has been a phenomenal achievement. We are also delighted to see engineers like Elijah McCoy ("The Real McCoy") and Anne Shaw who have demonstrated that having exceptional talent is more important than any other factor in making an outstanding contribution in engineering. They, like William Fairbairn and Craig Clark, are great Scottish engineers."
Collectively, the 31 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, Bryan Buchan, Chief Executive of Scottish Engineering, said: "It is wonderful to see great engineers getting recognition like this. Craig Clark has had an exemplary career and built a hugely successful business from scratch. He chose Scotland as his base for the high quality of its university education base, and Clyde Space has since formed the hub of the fast-growing sector of space technology in Scotland. He rightly deserves his place in the Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame."
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.