1962: John Hereward Pitchford

1962: John Hereward Pitchford

 

John Hereward Pitchford (1904-1995)

77th President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers

Pitchford was born in Penarth, Wales in 1904.

He was educated at Brighton College and Christ’s College, Cambridge, where he read engineering. He worked at the research laboratories of Ricardo and Co., Engineers, Ltd. during the long vacations, and in 1926 he joined the firm full time. He worked in the research and development department and was particularly involved with combustion research, particularly the high-speed diesel engine. In 1939 he was appointed General Manager, and in 1962 he became Chairman of the company. He became President of the company in 1976 when he retired from the position of Chairman.

He served on the Scientific Advisory Council of the Ministry of Fuel and Power from 1953 until 1959. He was also President of the Fédération Internationale des Sociétés D’Ingénieurs des Techniques de l’Automobile (FISITA), which comprises the automobile engineering societies throughout the world.

Pitchford was President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in 1962 and was the first President to be a member of the Automobile Division.

He died in 1995.

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