Andrew McWilliam
Dr. Andrew McWilliam (1867-1922), consultant metallurgist and formerly Professor of Metallurgy at Sheffield University.
1922 Obituary [1]
Dr. Andrew McWilliam, the well-known consulting metallurgist, and formerly Professor of Metallurgy in Sheffield University, died at Sheffield on the 5th inst. He had had twenty-four years' association with the city when, in 1911, he accepted the appointment of Head Metallurgical Adviser to the Government of India. Before his departure for India he was given the degree of Doctor of Metallurgy for his researches into the metallurgy of steel.
For many years he was a most familiar figure at the Iron and Steel Institute meetings, and his numerous papers were always of a practical and suggestive character, and most welcome contributions. He was educated at Glasgow and the Royal School of Mines, London, where he obtained a first-class scholarship. At one time he was chemist to the Martino Steel Company, and then for two years lecturer in metallurgy to the Staffordshire County Council.
1922 Obituary [2]
ANDREW MCWILLIAM, C.B.E., D.Met., A.R.S.M., who for many years was associated with Dr. Arnold in the Metallurgical Department of Sheffield University, died at his residence, 221 Upperthorpe, Sheffield, on April 5, 1922.
Dr. McWilliam was born in Glasgow in 1867 ; he received his early education at Allan Glen's School in his native city, and then entered the Royal School of Mines, South Kensington, where he proved himself to be a brilliant student.
In 1887 he joined the staff of the Sheffield Technical School, and later was appointed chemist and steel manager to the Martino Steel Company. His following appointments were lecturer in metallurgy in Staffordshire and manager of the danger area of the British Explosives Syndicate. Ultimately, Dr. McWilliam returned to Sheffield, as lecturer in metallurgy at the Sheffield University, being shortly afterwards appointed assistant professor in metallurgy to Dr. Arnold.
The Government of India, in 1911, appointed Dr. McWilliam to the post of Metallurgical and Analytical Inspector of Steel, a post which he filled for a period of six years ; during this period he was entrusted with the inspection of practically the whole of the products manufactured by the Tata Iron and Steel Company, not only for the Indian State, and the railways of India, but for a number of private firms. He was then appointed metallurgist to the Tata Iron and Steel Company for one year, when he returned to Sheffield and established a practice as consulting metallurgist.
An original member of the Institute of Metals, he read before the Institute in 1911, in collaboration with Mr. Barclay, a paper on "The Adhesion of Electro-deposited Silver, in Relation to the Nature of the German Silver Basis Metal." Dr. McWilliam displayed also great activity among the Sheffield local technical societies. He read a paper on "Electric Steel" at the meeting of the British Association held in Portsmouth in 1911. In that same year, on his departure for India, the University of Sheffield conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Metallurgy ; and in 1919 he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for the work he carried out in India.
1922 Obituary [3]
ANDREW MCWILLIAM died at his residence, 221 Upperthorpe, Sheffield, on April 5, 1922.
He was born in Glasgow in 1867; he received his early education at Allan Glen's School in his native city, and he then entered the Royal School of Mines, London.
He joined the staff of the Sheffield Technical School in 1887, and later was appointed chemist and steel manager to the Martino Steel Company.
His subsequent appointments were Lecturer in Metallurgy to the Staffordshire County Council, and manager of the British Explosives Syndicate. Ultimately he returned to Sheffield as Lecturer in Metallurgy at the Sheffield University, being shortly afterwards appointed Assistant Professor in Metallurgy to Professor J. O. Arnold. He had a very successful career at Sheffield University, and was awarded the degree of D.Met. for his researches in the metallurgy of steel.
He had twenty-four years' association with Sheffield when, in 1911, he accepted the appointment of Metallurgical and Analytical Inspector of Steel in India; a post which he held for a period of six years; during this period he was entrusted with the inspection of practically the whole of the products manufactured by the Tata Iron and Steel Co., not only for the Indian State and the railways of India but for a number of private firms. He was then appointed metallurgist to the Tata Iron and Steel Company for one year, when he returned to Sheffield and established a practice as consulting metallurgist. On his return he had conferred upon him the C.B.E. in recognition of his work done in connection with steel-making in India.
He was a member of the Institute of Metals and became a member of the Iron and Steel Institute in 1896. For many years he was a most familiar figure at the meetings of the Institute and his numerous papers were always of a practical and suggestive character, and most welcome contributions. His loss will be greatly felt by the Institutions of which he was a member.
The following is a list of the papers he presented to the Institute: "The Microstructure of Hardened Steel," 1902, and "The Thermal Transformation of Carbon Steels," 1905, conjointly with Professor Arnold; "The Heat Treatment Study of Bessemer Steels," 1909; "Some Physical Properties of 2 per Cent. Chromium Steels," 1910; "The Influence of 2 per Cent. Vanadium on Steels of Varying Carbon Content," 1911; "Some Properties of Heat-Treated 3 per Cent. Nickel Steels," 1911; "Brinell Hardness and Tenacity Factors of a Series of Heat-Treated Special Steels," 1915, conjointly with E. J. Barnes; and "Acid Open-Hearth Manipulation," 1904; "The Elimination of Silicon in the Acid-Hearth," conjointly with W. H. Hatfield; "Indian Iron-Making at Mirjati, Chota Nagpur," 1920; " Influence of Elements on Tenacity of Basic Steel," 1918; " Technical Aspects of the Establishment of the Heavy Steel Industry in India," 1918. He has also rendered valuable service as a member of Committee No. 5 on Metallography, Chemistry, and Physics.