Gordon Hindle Rawcliffe FRS (2 June 1910 – 3 September 1979) was a British electrical engineer and academic.

Life

Gordon Hindle Rawcliffe, whose father was an Anglican clergyman in

Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire a ...

, was born on 2 June 1910, moving from Sheffield to

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...

when he was two. He was educated at the

King's School, Gloucester The King's School is a co-educational independent day school in Gloucester, in the county of Gloucestershire, England. It traces its heritage to a monastic school founded in the 11th century in the cloisters of Gloucester Cathedral. It became ...

Hereford Cathedral School Hereford Cathedral School is an independent, co-educational day and boarding school for pupils of ages 3 to 18 years, from Nursery to Sixth Form. Its headmaster is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. The school's premi ...

and St Edmund's School, Canterbury before

matriculating Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by fulfilling certain academic requirements such as a matriculation examination. Australia In Australia, the term "matriculation" is seldom used now. ...

at Keble College, Oxford to study mathematics. After his first-year examinations, he switched to engineering, under

Richard V. Southwell Sir Richard Vynne Southwell, FRS (2 July 1888 – 9 December 1970) was a British mathematician who specialised in applied mechanics as an engineering science academic.

, and obtained a first-class degree in 1932. He worked for the next five years for

Metropolitan-Vickers Metropolitan-Vickers, Metrovick, or Metrovicks, was a British heavy electrical engineering company of the early-to-mid 20th century formerly known as British Westinghouse. Highly diversified, it was particularly well known for its industrial el ...

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

, initially as an apprentice and then as a design engineer. In 1937, more interested in the science of engineering than production methods, he moved to the

University of Liverpool , mottoeng = These days of peace foster learning , established = 1881 – University College Liverpool1884 – affiliated to the federal Victoria Universityhttp://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/2004/4 University of Manchester Act 200 ...

as lecturer in electrical engineering; four years later, he moved again, to the

University of Aberdeen , mottoeng = The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom , established = , type = Public research universityAncient university , endowment = £58.4 million (2021) , budget ...

, as lecturer in charge of electrical engineering and departmental head of Robert Gordon's Technical College (now Robert Gordon University). In 1944, the

University of Bristol , mottoeng = earningpromotes one's innate power (from Horace, ''Ode 4.4'') , established = 1595 – Merchant Venturers School1876 – University College, Bristol1909 – received royal charter , type ...

appointed him Professor of Electrical Engineering, a post that he held for the next 31 years. After retiring in 1975, he died in Bristol of a heart attack on 3 September 1979, brought on by the asthma that affected his health throughout his life.

Work

From 1955 onwards, Rawcliffe worked on polyphase winding of alternating current machinery. He developed the principle of pole amplitude modulation, enabling induction motors to run at different speeds; with his fellow-researchers, he filed more than 60 patents and wrote many scientific papers. He was elected a

Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural knowledge, including mathemat ...

in 1972, appointed an

Honorary Fellow Honorary titles (professor, reader, lecturer) in academia may be conferred on persons in recognition of contributions by a non-employee or by an employee beyond regular duties. This practice primarily exists in the UK and Germany, as well as in m ...

of Keble College, Oxford in 1976, and received honorary degrees from the universities of

Loughborough Loughborough ( ) is a market town in the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England, the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and Loughborough University. At the 2011 census the town's built-up area had a population of 59,932 , the second large ...

and Bath.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rawcliffe, Gordon 1910 births 1979 deaths Academics of the University of Liverpool Academics of the University of Aberdeen Academics of the University of Bristol Alumni of Keble College, Oxford British electrical engineers Fellows of Keble College, Oxford Fellows of the Royal Society Metropolitan-Vickers people Academics of Robert Gordon University People educated at Hereford Cathedral School People educated at The King's School, Gloucester