John Horlock

Sir John Harold Horlock FRS FREng (19 April 1928 – 22 May 2015) was a British professor of mechanical engineering, and was vice-chancellor of both the Open University and the University of Salford, as well as vice-president of the Royal Society. In 1977, he was elected a fellow

In 1981, Horlock began working for the Open University. Whilst there he tackled the government over spending cuts, introduced a taught postgraduate masters programme, and expanded the OU. Following his retirement he was treasurer and later vice-president of the Royal Society. Elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1988 1996 He was given a knighthood in the 1996 New Year Honours, for services to science, engineering and education. 2001 James Alfred Ewing Medal from the Institution of Civil Engineers

The Horlock building on the Open University's Walton Hall campus was named in his honour in 1989, and the Association of Open University Graduates' Sir John Horlock Award for Science was established two years later in 1991.