Prof Maurice George Say

FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This so ...

(1902–1992) was a 20th-century British electrical engineer who served as the head of electrical engineering at Heriot-Watt College for 30 years. Friends knew him as Dick Say and in authorship he is M. G. Say.

Life

He was born in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

on 8 June 1902 the son of Henry Robert Say and his wife, Elizabeth Sarah Eckersall. He was educated at Colfe's Grammar School in Horn Park east of London. He then studied electrical engineering at

Imperial College, London Imperial College London (legally Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom. Its history began with Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, who developed his vision for a cu ...

under Prof T Mather, G W O Howe and Parker Smith, graduating BSc in 1921. Continuing as a postgraduate he studied commutator machines and gained an MSc before gaining a doctorate (PhD) on the topic of railway electrification (assisted by Sir Philip Dawson). After a brief spell in industry he joined the Royal Technical College in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated pop ...

in 1926. In 1933 he received a professorship from Heriot-Watt in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

, remaining there for the remainder of his career. In 1935 he was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was established i ...

. His proposers were

James Cameron Smail Dr James Cameron Smail FRSE FRSGS PRSSA CBE LLD (1880-1970) was a Scottish university Principal. Heriot Watt University library is named the Cameron Smail Library in his honour. He wrote extensively on printing and the history of printing. Life ...

Alexander Robert Horne Prof Alexander Robert Horne FRSE OBE MIME PRSSA (1881–1953) was a Scottish engineer and author. Life He was born in Leven, Fife in 1881. He was educated at George Heriot's School in Edinburgh. He was apprenticed as an engineer to James Milne ...

, Sir

Thomas Hudson Beare Sir Thomas Hudson Beare FRSE RSSA (30 June 1859 – 10 June 1940) was an eminent British engineer. He was successively Professor of Engineering at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, at University College, London (where he was a colleague of Ka ...

, and

John Brown Clark John Brown Clark or Clarke CBE LLD FRSE (30 April 1861 – 19 July 1947) was a Scottish mathematician. He was headmaster of George Heriot’s School from 1908 to 1926. He served as Vice President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1931–34. Life ...

. In 1960/61 he presented the

Faraday Lectures Michael Faraday (; 22 September 1791 – 25 August 1867) was an English scientist who contributed to the study of electromagnetism and electrochemistry. His main discoveries include the principles underlying electromagnetic induction, ...

to the Institute of Electrical Engineers. In 1960 he also presented the

Bernard Price Memorial Lecture The Bernard Price Memorial Lecture is the premier annual lecture of the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers. It is of general scientific or engineering interest and is given by an invited guest, often from overseas, at several of the m ...

in South Africa. He retired in 1963 just before Heriot Watt was given university status. They awarded him an honorary doctorate (DSc) in 1985.

Death

He died on 14 November 1992.

Family

In 1926, he married Eileen Mary Ashworth. They had a daughter, Monica Ashworth Say (born on 5 November 1927 in Glasgow), and a son, David Giles Ashworth Say (born on 11 May 1939 in Glasgow).

Publications

*''Performance and Design of A/C Machines'' (1936) *''Electrical Engineers Reference Book'' (1945) and many later editions *''Analogue and Digital Computers'' (1960) *''Unified Theory of Electromagnetic Machines'' (1971) *''A/C Machines'' (1983) *''D/C Machines'' (1986) (co-written with

Eric Openshaw Taylor Prof Eric Openshaw Taylor FRSE PRSSA FIEE (c.1900–1987) was a 20th century British electrical engineer and scientific author. He was an early advocate of the use of nuclear power to create electricity. Life He studied Electrical Engineering ...

)

References

1902 births 1992 deaths Engineers from London People educated at Colfe's School British electrical engineers Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh {{UK-engineer-stub