William Unwin

William Cawthorne Unwin FRS (12 December 1838 – 17 March 1933) was a British civil and mechanical engineer. He is noted for his extensive work on hydraulics and engines as well as his close association with William Fairbairn. He is one of only a few men who have served as president of both the Institution of Civil Engineers and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Unwin served as an engineering advisor to the government during the First World War and was the first recipient of the Kelvin Gold Medal awarded by the Institution of Civil Engineers.

Biography

William was born to the Reverend William Jordon Unwin and his wife, Eliza, at Coggeshall, Essex. He received an education from the City of London School and studied for a year at New College, St John's Wood, many of the universities being closed to him due to his congregational roots. Having finished his studies he began work for William Fairbairn as a clerk in February 1856. Initially he worked in the Fairbairn Engineering Company testing department carrying out and documenting various structural and material tests.

In 1862 he was appointed to be works manager of the Williamson Brothers engineering works in Kendal where he manufactured water turbines for use in industrial mills. He returned to Fairbairn's as manager of the engine department in 1856, studying in his spare time to gain a Bachelor of Science degree by 1861.

He was elected as President of the Institution of Civil Engineers in November 1911 and served a one-year term. In 1913 he was made chairman of an Institution of Civil Engineers committee investigating the training of engineers, his professional development scheme remains an integral part of the training program. During the First World War Unwin volunteered his services to the government and served on the Gauge Committee of the Ministry of Munitions; the Metropolitan Munitions Committee and the Munitions Management Board. He served as Presidential Chair of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers between 1915 and 1916. 1890 Honorary Member of the Franklin Institute 1892 President of the Engineering Section of the British Association 1894 Member of the Council of the Royal Society 1896 James Watt Memorial Lecture (topic chosen by Unwin: the life of Gustave-Adolphe Hirn) 1898 Honorary Member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers 1905 Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Edinburgh Honorary Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers