John Coulson

Last updated

John Metcalfe Coulson (born 13 December 1910 in Dudley, died 6 January 1990 [1] ) was a British chemical engineering academic particularly known for co-writing a textbook on chemical engineering with Jack Richardson (published in 1954), which became an established series of texts now known as Coulson & Richardson's Chemical Engineering.

John Coulson was the twin brother of Charles Alfred Coulson, the noted chemist. Their father was Alfred Coulson (who became Principal of Dudley Technical College) and their mother was Annie Sincere Hancock, a school headmistress. [2] [3]

He went to Clifton College. [4] He did his first degree at Christ's College, Cambridge, then a postgraduate course in Chemical Engineering at Imperial College followed by research, achieving a PhD in 1935. He joined the academic staff, achieving the status of Reader. In 1954 he became the first head of the Department of Chemical Engineering at Newcastle University, where he remained until his retirement in 1975, apart from a secondment to Heriot-Watt University during its formation of a separate department of chemical engineering. [1]

Coulson married twice, first to Dora (died 1961) with whom he had two sons, Anthony and Simon, and then in 1965 to Christine, who survived him. [1]

He was awarded the George E. Davis Medal of the Institution of Chemical Engineers in 1973, [1] and he received an Honorary Doctorate from Heriot-Watt University in the same year. [5]

Related Research Articles

Charles Alfred Coulson was a British applied mathematician and theoretical chemist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heriot-Watt University</span> University based in Edinburgh

Heriot-Watt University is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1821 as the School of Arts of Edinburgh, the world's first mechanics' institute, and subsequently granted university status by royal charter in 1966. It is the eighth-oldest higher education institute in the UK. The name Heriot-Watt was taken from Scottish inventor James Watt and Scottish philanthropist and goldsmith George Heriot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Oatley</span> British physicist and electrical engineer

Sir Charles William Oatley OBE, FRS FREng was Professor of Electrical Engineering, University of Cambridge, 1960–1971, and developer of one of the first commercial scanning electron microscopes. He was also a founder member of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Smith (botanist)</span> British botanist (1930–2018)

Sir David Cecil Smith was a British botanist. Smith was most notable for his research into the biology of symbiosis and became a leading authority on it. Smith discovered that lichens and Radiata (coelenterates) shared a similar biological mechanism in carbohydrate metabolism. Further research by Smith demonstrated similar processes in organisms that worked within a symbiotic relationship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Institution of Chemical Engineers</span> International professional institution

The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) is a global professional engineering institution with over 33,000 members worldwide. It was founded in 1922 and awarded a Royal Charter in 1957.

John Francis Richardson OBE was a UK chemical engineering academic, notable for his research into multiphase flow and rheology, but best known for a series of textbooks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frederick Warner (engineer)</span> British chemical engineer

Sir Frederick Edward Warner FRS, FREng was a British chemical engineer.

John Stuart Archer was Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Heriot-Watt University from 1997 to 2006.

Sir Alistair George James MacFarlane was a Scottish electrical engineer and leading academic who served as Principal and Vice Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, and Rector, University of the Highlands and Islands.

Geoffrey Frederick Hewitt was a British chemical engineer, and Emeritus Professor at Imperial College London, where from 1993 to 1999 he was the Courtaulds Professor of chemical engineering.

Sir James Baddiley FRS FRSE was a British biochemist.

Pierre Aigrain was a French physicist and Secretary of Research in the French Academy of Sciences.

Charles Kemball CBE PRSE FRS FRSC FRIC was a Scottish chemist who served as president of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (1988–91) and as president of the Royal Institute of Chemistry (1974-6). He pioneered the use of mass spectrometry. and was a leading expert in heterogeneous catalysis.

Sir Maurice Arthur Eric Hodgson was chairman of ICI from 1978–1982, and of British Home Stores from 1982–1987 and chief executive from 1982–1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Hudson Beare</span> Australian engineer (1859–1940)

Sir Thomas Hudson Beare FRSE RSSA was an eminent British engineer. He was successively Professor of Engineering at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, at University College, London, and finally Regius Professor of Engineering in Edinburgh University.

Robin M. Hochstrasser was a Scottish-born American chemist.

Sir Frederick Henry Stewart was a Scottish geologist and academic who was a professor at the University of Edinburgh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London</span>

The Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London is the centre of teaching and research in chemical and process engineering at Imperial College London, occupying the Aeronautics and Chemical Engineering Extension (ACEX), Bone and Roderic Hill buildings, on the South Kensington campus. Formally inaugurated in 1912, the department has over 40 faculty members, 100 postdoctoral researchers, 200 PhD researchers, 80 taught postgraduates, and 500 undergraduates. The department ranks 7th on QS's 2018 world rankings.

Sir Harry Work Melville, was a British chemist, academic, and academic administrator, who specialised in polymer research. He spent his early career in academia as a lecturer and researcher, before moving into administration as a civil servant and university college head.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 J. F. Richardson, in a preface (page xii) to J. M. Coulson & J. F. Richardson (1996) Coulson & Richardson's Chemical Engineering, volume 1, 5th edition ISBN   0-7506-2557-0
  2. ↑ University of St Andrews biographies: Charles Alfred Coulson
  3. ↑ Altmann, S.L., & Bowen, E. J. (December 1974). "Charles Alfred Coulson 1910 - 1974". Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society. 20: 75–134. doi: 10.1098/rsbm.1974.0004 .{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ↑ "Clifton College Register" Muirhead, J.A.O. ref no 9274: Bristol; J.W Arrowsmith for Old Cliftonian Society; April, 1948
  5. ↑ "Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh: Honorary Graduates". www1.hw.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 18 April 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2016.



This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.