George Horatio Nelson, 1st Baron Nelson of Stafford (26 October 1887 – 16 July 1962), known as Sir George Nelson, 1st Baronet, from 1955 to 1960, was a British engineer who was chairman of

English Electric The English Electric Company Limited (EE) was a British industrial manufacturer formed after World War I by amalgamating five businesses which, during the war, made munitions, armaments and aeroplanes. It initially specialised in industrial el ...

from 1933 to 1962. Over nearly thirty years as its chairman George Nelson built up the number of English Electric's employees from 4,000 to 80,000.

Early life, education and family

Nelson was born in

Islington Islington ( ) is an inner-city area of north London, England, within the wider London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's #Islington High Street, High Street to Highbury Fields ...

, London, the son of George Nelson, a member of a Leicestershire family of textile merchants. Educated at the

City and Guilds Central Technical College The City and Guilds of London Institute is an educational organisation in the United Kingdom. Founded on 11 November 1878 by the City of London and 16 livery companies to develop a national system of technical education, the institute has bee ...

in London he obtained a studentship at Brush Electrical Engineering in Loughborough for practical experience on the shop floor and in the drawing office.Lord Nelson of Stafford. ''The Times'', Tuesday, 17 Jul 1962; pg. 12; Issue 55445 Nelson married Florence Mabel, daughter of Henry Howe, in 1913. They had a daughter and a son. He died in July 1962 and Lady Nelson died the same year. He was succeeded in the barony by his only son,

Henry George Henry George (September 2, 1839 – October 29, 1897) was an American political economist, Social philosophy, social philosopher and journalist. His writing was immensely popular in 19th-century America and sparked several reform movements of ...

, who had followed him in 1956 as managing director and, after his death in 1962, as chairman of

Career

Early career and English Electric

He joined

British Westinghouse British Westinghouse Electrical and Manufacturing Company was a subsidiary of the Pittsburgh, US-based Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company. British Westinghouse would become a subsidiary of Metropolitan-Vickers in 1919; and after Metr ...

in Manchester and rapidly progressed, being appointed chief electrical superintendent in 1914 aged 27. Westinghouse became Metropolitan Vickers Electrical and in 1920 Nelson was appointed manager of their Sheffield works, which specialised in

electric traction Railway electrification is the use of electric power for the propulsion of rail transport. Electric railways use either electric locomotives (hauling passengers or freight in separate cars), electric multiple units (passenger cars with their own ...

. In 1930, he was appointed managing director of

at the invitation of Sir Holberry Mensforth, with whom he worked at Westinghouse and who was now chairman of the financially troubled manufacturing firm, brought in during a period of reconstruction. Mensforth retired in 1933 and Nelson succeed him as chairman while retaining his position of managing director. He remained at the company for the duration of his career and he died at their Stafford premises on 16 July 1962. During his tenure the number of employees rose from 4,000 to 80,000 with a more than proportionate increase in turnover.

Public activities

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Nelson held a number of positions: * As chairman of the British Tank Mission he hammered out a joint policy for tank development and production with American industry and the US Army and Canada * Served on the Heavy Bomber Group Committee of the Air Ministry, 1939–1945 * The Reconstruction Joint Advisory Council, 1943–1944 * The Higher Technological Education Committee, 1944–1945 * Chairman of the Census of Production Committee, 1945 * President of the

Federation of British Industries The Federation of British Industries (FBI) was an employers' association in the United Kingdom. History Founded by the Midlands industrialist Dudley Docker in 1916 as the United British Industries' Association, but renamed later that same year, ...

, 1943–1944 Following the war, Nelson took an interest in the improvement of technical education and became a member of the governing bodies of

Imperial College of Science and Technology Imperial College London, also known as Imperial, is a public research university in London, England. Its history began with Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, who envisioned a cultural district in South Kensington that included museums, ...

, Manchester College of Science and Technology and

Queen Mary College Queen Mary University of London (QMUL, or informally QM, and formerly Queen Mary and Westfield College) is a public research university in Mile End, East London, England. It is a member institution of the federal University of London. Today, ...

in the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...

. He also served as President of the

Institution of Electrical Engineers The Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE) was a British professional organisation of electronics, electrical, manufacturing, and information technology professionals, especially electrical engineers. It began in 1871 as the Society of Tel ...

(1955), President of the

Institution of Mechanical Engineers The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) is an independent professional association and learned society headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that represents mechanical engineers and the engineering profession. With over 110,000 member ...

(1957), President of the British Electrical and Allied Manufacturers Association (1950–1953), President of the Locomotive and Allied Manufacturers Association (1950–1953), and Prime Warden of the

Goldsmiths' Company The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths (commonly known as ''The Goldsmiths' Company'' and formally styled ''The Wardens and Commonalty of the Mystery of Goldsmiths of the City of London''), is one of the Great Twelve Livery Companies of the City ...

(1960).

Honours

In the 1943 New Year Honours he was appointed a

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

for services to Ministry of Aircraft Production and Ministry of Supply. He was created a

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

, of Hilcote Hall in the County of Stafford, in 1955, before being raised to the

peerage A peerage is a legal system historically comprising various hereditary titles (and sometimes Life peer, non-hereditary titles) in a number of countries, and composed of assorted Imperial, royal and noble ranks, noble ranks. Peerages include: A ...

on 20 January 1960 as Baron Nelson of Stafford, of Hilcote Hall in the County of Stafford.

Imperial College Imperial College London, also known as Imperial, is a public research university in London, England. Its history began with Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, who envisioned a cultural district in South Kensington that included museums ...

made him an honorary fellow in 1955 and granted him an honorary diploma, Manchester University gave him an honorary LLD in 1957 and he was given the freedom of the city of Stafford 1956. The Stafford Site Library of

Staffordshire University The University of Staffordshire is a public research university in Staffordshire, England. It has its main campus in Stoke-on-Trent and four other campuses in Stafford, Lichfield, Shrewsbury, and London. History In 1901, industrialist Alfred ...

was named after him in honour of his contribution to the engineering industry.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson Of Stafford, George Nelson, 1st Baron 1887 births 1962 deaths People from Islington (district)

Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...

1 English electrical engineers English mechanical engineers Knights Bachelor Hereditary barons created by Elizabeth II Engineers from London 20th-century English businesspeople