R. C. Parker
1973 Bio Note [1]
R. C. Parker, BSc, ARCS, PhD, FlnstP, FIProdE, Fellow, graduated at Imperial College, London University in 1936 and later moved to University College in order to study for a postgraduate degree under the late Professor E. N. da C. Andrade.
He later joined ICI and found himself in a laboratory staffed solely by inorganic chemists, but in 1938 moved to the Admiralty Research Laboratory when he changed disciplines to mechanical engineering.
In 1940, a frictional problem caused him to pay a visit to Ferodo Ltd, and he joined the Company in 1941 taking the post of Test House Manager. Some five years later he became Assistant Research Manager, then Research Manager, and was appointed Director in charge of Research and Development in 1951.
Among scientific papers he has published are a Crompton-Lanchester Lecture on 'Automobile Braking', and papers presented to the 9th FISITA Congress in London, and the 10th FISITA Congress in Japan.
In addition to service on various AD committees, he was Chairman of the Division in 1971; he was also Chairman of the Mechanical Engineering Research Laboratory Lubrication and Wear sub-Committees for five years. He later became Chairman of the Machinery Committee of the National Engineering Laboratory from 1961 to 1965. He currently serves on the Tribology Research and Liaison Committee of the Department of Trade and Industry.