Sir Arthur Ernest Hawkins (10 June 1913 – 13 January 1999) was an English mechanical and electrical engineer. Born in Lympley Stoke,

Bath, Somerset Bath () is a city in the Bath and North East Somerset unitary area in the county of Somerset, England, known for and named after its Roman-built baths. At the 2021 Census, the population was 101,557. Bath is in the valley of the River Avon, ...

and educated at the Great Yarmouth High School. He joined the

CEGB The Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) was responsible for electricity generation, transmission and bulk sales in England and Wales from 1958 until privatisation of the electricity industry in the 1990s. It was established on 1 Januar ...

and was heavily involved in the 275 kV and 400 kV Supergrid in the department of the Transmission Project Group. He married Laura Judith Tallent Draper in

Marylebone Marylebone (usually , also , ) is a district in the West End of London, in the City of Westminster. Oxford Street, Europe's busiest shopping street, forms its southern boundary. An Civil parish#Ancient parishes, ancient parish and latterly a ...

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, historic county in South East England, southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the Ceremonial counties of ...

1939. At the inception of the first 2000 MW power station West Burton in 1969 Arthur was then in charge of the

Midlands Region based in Shirley, Solihull, West Midlands. He was made

chairman The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...

of the

in 1972 preceded by

Sir Stanley Brown Sir Frederick Herbert Stanley Brown (9 December 1910 – 1997) was an English mechanical and electrical engineer. Born in Birmingham and educated at the King Edward's School, Birmingham he then went on to the University of Birmingham where he g ...

and proceeded by

Glyn England Glyn (Glynne) England (1921-2013) was a British electrical engineer. Early life He attended Penarth County Grammar School (now Stanwell School), then Queen Mary College in London. Career Prior to World War II, he was scientific assistant w ...

in 1977. In June 1976 he was knighted as

Chairman The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...

of the

. After retirement he served as a director with the Community of

St Andrew Andrew the Apostle ( grc-koi, Ἀνδρέᾱς, Andréās ; la, Andrēās ; , syc, ܐܰܢܕ݁ܪܶܐܘܳܣ, ʾAnd’reʾwās), also called Saint Andrew, was an apostle of Jesus according to the New Testament. He is the brother of Simon Peter ...

Trust at

Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of the four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. (The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn.) Lincoln ...

London London is the capital and 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 down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. He was survived by his son Andrew Hawkins and daughter Ruth Hawkins. Lady Hawkins died in 2020 at the age of 104. After privatisation of the industry in 1991 commentators made the link to the lack of

British energy policy The energy policy of the United Kingdom refers to the United Kingdom's efforts towards reducing energy intensity, reducing energy poverty, and maintaining energy supply reliability. The United Kingdom has had success in this, though energy int ...

to the days of the

‘Oh for the glory days of Sir Arthur Hawkins and the

Central Electricity Generating Board The Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) was responsible for electricity generation, transmission and bulk sales in England and Wales from 1958 until privatisation of the electricity industry in the 1990s. It was established on 1 Januar ...

. I never thought I'd say that about an organisation that seemed, at the time, to embody the very worst aspects of post-war corporatism and central government planning. But compared with the abject chaos into which

has descended since privatisation, the absolute rule of the

seems a paragon of virtue.’

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hawkins, Sir Arthur 1913 births 1999 deaths English electrical engineers Knights Bachelor Officers of the Order of the British Empire