Charles Frewen Jenkin

Charles Frewen Jenkin, CBE, FRS (24 September 186523 August 1940) was a British engineer and academic. He held the first chair of engineering at the University of Oxford as Professor of Engineering Science.

Early life Jenkin was born on 24 September 1865 in Claygate, Surrey. He was the second son of Fleeming Jenkin who was Regius Professor of Engineering at the University of Edinburgh. He was educated at Edinburgh Academy, then an all boys private school in Edinburgh. In 1912, he moved from New College to become a fellow of Brasenose College, Oxford. In 1914, the Department of Engineering Science was finally collected into one building having previously been spread among many, temporary buildings. In 1929, he resigned from his appointment to concentrate on his research. He worked in the Air Department of the Admiralty.

On the amalgamation of the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps in April 1918, he was appointed head of the branch of the Royal Air Force responsible for aircraft materials.

Later life Following his retirement from the University of Oxford, Jenkin moved to St Albans, Hertfordshire. His grandchildren and great-grandchildren include Patrick Jenkin, a cabinet minister and life peer, and Bernard Jenkin, a member of parliament.

He was a self-taught multi-linguist: he spoke medieval French, medieval Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Catalan, in addition to his native English.

He was elected a Member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers in 1901 and a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1912.

He was awarded the Telford Medal and the James Watt Medal by the Institution of Civil Engineers. The Jenkin Building of the Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford is named after him.