Whitworth Society

The Whitworth Society

Formation	12 January 1923
Founder	H. S. Hele-Shaw
Key people	President: Rachael Hoyle
Website	whitworthsociety.org

Handover of Presidential office between Lee Griffiths (2016 President, right) to Howard Stone (2017 President, left) at the Manufacturing Technology Centre in front of Joseph Whitworth's portrait and lathe

The Whitworth Society was founded in 1923 by Henry Selby Hele-Shaw, then president of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Its purposes are to promote engineering in the United Kingdom, and more specifically to support all Whitworth Scholars, the recipients of a scholarship funded by Joseph Whitworth's scholarship scheme, which started in 1868. A Whitworth Scholar is the result of completing a successful Whitworth Scholarship. Membership of the Society is limited to Whitworth Scholars, Senior Scholars, Fellows, Exhibitioners and Prizemen. The Society is a way for making contact with all successful "Whitworths" and provides a way for making information contacts and connections from more senior members to recently successful Scholars. The Society also serves as a way to commemorate Joseph Whitworth and acknowledge his contributions to engineering education.

Activities

Commemorative dinner and annual general meeting

The annual dinner and annual general meeting is held on the evening of 18 March (or nearest Friday to) to commemorate the date in 1868 when Joseph Whitworth wrote to Benjamin Disraeli, offering to found the Whitworth Scholarships. Traditionally the dinner has been held in London until more recent times where the meal and meeting is alternated, one-year London and one-year Manchester.

Summer meeting

An image of the Whitworth Register from 2007.

There is a summer meeting held over two-days normally at the beginning of July. The event is largely informal and ordinarily arranged by the President of the Society.

Record

A record of all scholars is kept by the Society, until recent years, this was in hardback form (see image) presented when an individual was elected a scholar. In recent times, the register is kept electronically and provided by USB flash drive as part of the awards ceremony.

Whitworth Scholarship

A Whitworth Scholarship, named after Joseph Whitworth, is an "award for outstanding engineers, who have excellent academic and practical skills and the qualities needed to succeed in industry, to take an engineering degree-level programme in any engineering discipline".

Background

On 18 March 1868, Joseph Whitworth wrote to then Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli to fund 30 scholarships for the value of £100 for young men in the United Kingdom. This was met favourably by the Government at the time as minuted on 27 March 1868 by the council. After the adoption of this by Government, Whitworth presented a memorandum setting out the requirements of the awards which included examinations in mathematics, mechanics, physics, and chemistry, including metallurgy and in the following handicrafts: Smith's Work, turning, filing, fitting, pattern making and moulding.

Whitworth's intent was to support those individuals with practical skills, training, typically those who today have completed an apprenticeship who had the desire to continue onto further, higher education, university degree courses. The Scholarships continue over 150-years after inception of the idea. In 2018 the prize money awarded is up to £5,450 per annum for an undergraduate programme and £8,250 per annum for a post graduate research programme. The prize money is still funded by the original money provided in Trust by Joseph Whitworth.

The criteria for a scholarship remains consistent with the original mandate of 1868, practical skills with aptitude for science and mathematic based academia. In 2018, the conditions for application for a scholarship are to:

• Have pursued a vocational training route (i.e. apprenticeship) in an engineering discipline typically for at least 2 years after having left full-time education (generally UK secondary education or college based study) and before entering a degree-level engineering course.
• Have obtained or will obtain an appropriate qualification for admission to the planned engineering degree-level programme of any engineering discipline.
• Be British, Commonwealth or European Union citizen, and resident in the UK for at least 3 consecutive years immediately prior to undertaking study in the UK at a College of FE/HE or university

In 1984, as a result of consultation with the Whitworth Society, the administration of the Awards and Scholarship programmes was transferred from the Department of Education & Science (at the time) to the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

Current scholarship

Whitworth Medal, presented to successful Scholars and engraved on the outside diameter with the individual's name. These are produced by the Royal Mint, London in Bronze.

Today, the scholarship programme lasts for the duration of an individual's academic studies, typically 3–4 years of full-time degree studies. During this time, the individuals are termed "award holders".

If the continued monitoring of progress and overall academic achievement is deemed satisfactory, the award holder becomes a Whitworth Scholar. This occasion is commemorated at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Vision Awards ceremony ordinarily carried out in the September/October period of each year.

Whitworth Scholar

A Whitworth Scholar is the accolade given to those who have successfully completed a Whitworth Scholarship. It is rare on the basis that only a small number of scholarships are issued each year which has quite specific application conditions and a tough review process.

A Whitworth Scholar is permitted to use the post-nominal letters, WhSch.

An example certificate presented to an individual when they have been elected a Whitworth Scholar.

Typically there is an awards ceremony for the successful scholars where a certificate and medal (shown opposite) are presented. In recent years forms part of the IMechE's vision awards in September/October time each year.

Post nominals

There are recognised post-nominals which are permitted to be used after an individual's name. They are as follows.

Post Nominal	Designation
WhSch	Whitworth Scholarship
WhSSch	Whitworth Senior Scholar
WhEx	Whitworth Exhibitioner
WhF	Whitworth Fellow
WhPr	Whitworth Prizeman

Officers

No.	Year of Taking Office	President	Honorary Treasurer	Honorary Secretary
1	1923	Henry Selby Hele-Shaw	D. A. Low	E. R. Dolby
2	1924	R. B. Buckley
3	1925	Williamm Sisson
4	1926	F. P. Purvis
5	1927	Thomas Sugden
6	1928	F. H. Livens
7	1929	W. H. Fowler
8	1930	Henry Fowler
9	1931	F. C. Lea
10	1932	D. A. Low
11	1933	E. R. Dolby		S. J. Davies
12	1934	Charles Day
13	1935	Ernest George Coker	J. Hamilton Gibson
14	1936	Henry Japp
15	1937	A. Havelock Case
16	1938	W. Price Abell
17	1939	Edmund Bruce Ball
18	1940	Asa Binns
19	1941	A. L. Mellanby	I. V. Robinson
20	1945	Harry Wimperis
21	1946	L. H. Hounsfield
22	1947	Andrew Robertson		F. T. Barwell
23	1948	I. V. Robinson
24	1949	H. Shoosmith
25	1950	H. H. Johnson
26	1951	S. F. Dorey
27	1952	Henry Lewis Guy
28	1953	S. J. Davies
29	1954	A. R. Valon
30	1955	Richard William Bailey
31	1956	P. L. Jones
32	1957	E. Markham	F. T. Barwell	R. G. Woolacott
33	1958	G. W. Daniels
34	1959	A. Hoare (to Dec 1959)
35	1959	G. W. Daniels (from Dec 1959)
36	1960	F. H. Reid
37	1961	W. Ker Wilson
38	1962	A. Sykes
39	1963	Douglas George Sopwith
40	1964	W. F. Harlow
41	1965	R. J. Welsh	M. J. Neale
42	1966	F. T. Barwell
43	1967	E. C. Mills
44	1968	J. Diamond
45	1969	P. P. Love
46	1970	D. H. New
47	1971	D. W. Ginns
48	1972	Herbert Haslegrave
49	1973	Hugh Ford
50	1974	N. E. Rowe
51	1975	R. G. Voysey	E. K. Armstrong	M. J. C. Swainston
52	1976	M. J. Neale
53	1977	J. W. Drinkwater
54	1978	Joseph A. Pope
55	1979	J. G. Watkins
56	1980	M. D. Wood
57	1981	T. Matthewson-Dick
58	1982	H. G. R. Robinson
59	1983	A. G. Gledhill
60	1984	R. G. Woolacott
61	1985	Denning Pearson
62	1986	L. I. Farren
63	1987	G. W. Watson
64	1988	R. A. Hore		F. M. Burrows
65	1989	W. G. N. Buckland
66	1990	E. K. Armstrong
67	1991	M. J. C. Swainston
68	1992	R. A. Clarke
69	1993	J. H. Weaving
70	1994	G. M. Ward.
71	1995	H. J. C. Weighell	B. M. Coaker	F. M. Burrows
72	1996	K. Patricia Baglin
73	1997	D. J. Faulkner
74	1998	P. C. Young
75	1999	D. L. Clamp
76	2000	R. J. Mistry
77	2001	M. D. Black
78	2002	B. J. Hutchinson
79	2003	B. M. Coaker
80	2004	D. J. Wood
81	2005	S. T. Beck
82	2006	M. A. Comer
83	2007	S. Davison
84	2008	P. Whyman
85	2009	H. B. J. Stone
86	2010	V. J. (Bradley) Sims
87	2011	D. G. Eaves		V. J. (Bradley) Sims
88	2012	G. Cooke
89	2013	K. D. Dearn
90	2014	S. A. Witting
91	2015	B. H. Hughes
92	2016	L. M. Griffiths
93	2017	H. B. J. Stone	Rachael Hoyle
94	2018	B. M. Coaker
95	2019	James Potten		Michael F. Kelly
96	2020	Jenny Kenny
97	2021	Laura Gilbert
98	2022	Chris Sidney
99	2023	Kevin Urquhart	Laura Gilbert
100	2024	Rachael Hoyle
Source:

See also

• List of mechanical engineering awards