R. Tom Sawyer

Robert Thomas Sawyer (June 20, 1901 – January 19, 1986) was the founder of the American Society of Mechanical Engineer's International Gas Turbine Institute (IGTI) and among industry professionals was known as "Mr. Gas Turbine". to honor him for advancing gas turbine technology in all of its aspects for over 40 years. The award in his name is the highest award given by the IGTI,

In 1928, while working on his master's degree, Sawyer rebuilt a 1920s Jordan automobile and replaced the gear box with a generator and motor. He thus created an early hybrid electric vehicle which combined the Jordan automobile's internal combustion engine (ICE) with a DC generator that powered an electric motor to drive the axles. thumb 1920's Jordan automobile with R. Tom Sawyer, who successfully converted it to a hybrid-electric in 1928. He then drove it for 60,000 miles in the US and Australia as a demonstration of its capability Sawyer drove the car for 60,000 miles in the United States and Australia as a demonstration of its capability. He determined, however, that the electrical parts were too heavy and expensive to be practical, so he discontinued the project and donated the Jordan car to the Mechanical Engineering laboratory at Ohio State University. Sawyer remained in Australia for a year working as an engineer for Australian General Electric, where he worked on gas-electric railroad cars.

In 1929, Sawyer visited Dr. Alfred Büchi, the Swiss inventor of supercharging, when Buchi was testing the turbocharger on a large diesel engine in the Sulzer Winterthur plant. It was here that Sawyer first saw a gas turbine without a combustor in the form of the Buchi diesel supercharger.

Career Sawyer then joined the American Locomotive Company, where he served as head of research working on both diesel and gas turbine projects from 1930 to 1956. While working for General Electric in 1925, Sawyer helped assemble and delivered the very first diesel locomotive sold in the United States. thumb Award for building and delivering the first diesel locomotive sold in the US – given to R. Tom Sawyer In 1944 Sawyer applied for one of the first gas turbine powered locomotive patents. The patent was granted in 1948. . The resulting locomotive was a small switcher built by the Davenport Locomotive Works and delivered to the army in 1954. This was also the first railway locomotive to use aeroderivative gas turbines being powered by two Boeing 502-2E engines.

Sawyer was instrumental in organizing and presenting the first ASME gas turbine technical papers. During May 8–10, 1944, ASME's 17th National Oil and Gas Power Conference was held in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where there was intense interest in emerging gas turbine technology. On May 7, 1944, the day before the conference, the executive committee of the Oil and Gas Power Division voted to form a Gas Turbine Coordinating Committee (GTCC) to facilitate dissemination of information related to the gas turbine through meetings and the presentation of technical papers. GTCC with Sawyer of the American Locomotive Company as its chairman was the beginning of the IGTI.

Sawyer lived in Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey, which was close to New York City. Sawyer commissioned a jeweler in New York City to make a die to cast a miniature multi-bladed axial-flow turbine "wheel" lapel pin. Gold turbine wheels from this design have been awarded by IGTI to many volunteers over the years. In 1964, Sawyer contacted the Broadway ASCAP songwriter Arthur Kent, most famous for The End of the World, to compose IGTI's song Onward and Upward with Gas Turbines which was later modernized by a Nashville lyricist. Sawyer remained involved with IGTI until his death in 1986. Power Plant (US2526424), and a Rotary Engine Power Plant (US2445973).

Personal life Sawyer was married to Ruth Ennis Sawyer, daughter of Joseph B. Ennis, who was the vice president and director of engineering for the American Locomotive Company. They had two children and five grandchildren.

The R. Tom Sawyer Award In 1972, ASME established the R. Tom Sawyer Award to "an individual who has made important contributions to advance the purpose of the Gas Turbine Institute over a substantial period of time". It is the highest award given by the IGTI.

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