Hugh Graham Conway, director of Short Brothers and Harland
1961 Bio Note [1]
Mr H. G. Conway, M.A. (Member), a new Vice-President of the Institution, is a graduate of Cambridge University, where he took an honours degree in Mechanical Science.
After serving an apprenticeship with Petters Ltd, Yeovil, he joined Aviation Engineering (Messier) Ltd in 1938 and, in 1939, he was appointed Chief Engineer when that Company became Rubery Owen Messier Ltd. He was responsible at that time for the design and development of the Messier aeroplane undercarriage and hydraulic equipment.
In 1945 he was appointed Chief Engineer of the Aviation Division of the Dunlop Rubber Co. Ltd, Coventry. He became Technical Director of British Messier Ltd, Gloucester, in 1947 and in 1954 he went to Short Brothers and Harland Ltd, Belfast, as Chief Engineer. He became a Director of this Company in 1955 and a Deputy Managing Director in 1959.
Mr Conway was elected a Graduate of the Institution in 1936, he transferred to Associate Member in 1941 and to Member in 1950. He served as an Associate Member on Council from 1947 to 1950 and was re-elected to Council as a Member in 1956. At present, he is the Chairman Of THE CHARTERED MECHANICAL ENGINEER Advisory Panel in addition to his duties on other Standing Committees of the Institution. He is also Chairman of the Automatic Control Group Committee.
1973 Bio Note [2]
H. Conway, CBE, MA, FRAeS, Fellow, was born in Vancouver, Canada and was educated at Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh, and at Cambridge University, where he obtained an honours degree in Mechanical Sciences. In 1938 he joined Messier Aircraft Equipment Ltd and was Chief Engineer when, in 1945, he went to the Aviation Division of the Dunlop Rubber Co, also as Chief Engineer. In 1947 he was concerned in the formation of British Messier Ltd, as a subsidiary of the Bristol Aeroplane Co.
Mr Conway was Technical Director of British Messier until 1954 when he joined Short Brothers and Harland Ltd, Belfast, as Chief Engineer. A year later he was appointed to the Board and in 1961 became joint Managing Director. He was appointed Managing Director of Bristol Siddeley Engines in October 1964 and to the Board of Rolls-Royce in November 1966 following the merging of Bristol Siddeley Engines with Rolls-Royce.
A Past-President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Mr Conway became Deputy Chairman of the Design Council in 1972.