John Gordon Longbottom
Professor John Gordon Longbottom (1869-1924)
1924 Obituary [1]
Professor JOHN GORDON LONGB0TT0M was born at Keighley on 27th August 1869, and died at Bearsden, Glasgow, on 7th June 1924, in his fifty-fifth year.
He received his early education at Trade and Grammar School, Keighley, and then served an apprenticeship in the same town at the works of Messrs. F. and J. Butterfield, machine-tool makers.
Afterwards he studied at the Technical College, Bradford, the Royal College of Science, and University College, London. He won a Whitworth Exhibition in 1889, a National Scholarship in 1890, and a Whitworth Scholarship in 1893.
For a short period in 1895 he assisted Professor Karl Pearson at University College, London, and in the same year became Lecturer in Mechanics at the Royal Technical College, Glasgow.
In 1904 he was appointed Professor of Mechanics, which position he held until his death.
From early boyhood Professor Longbottom's whole professional life was devoted to the study and teaching of the Science of Mechanics, on whirls subject he was a recognized authority. The testing apparatus at the Royal Technical College was made to his design, and the 100-ton horizontal testing-machine was patented by him in conjunction with the makers, Messrs. W. and T. Avery.
He became an Associate Member of this Institution in 1895, and a Member in 1905. He was also a Member of the Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders in Scotland.