Bernard Crossland facts for kids
Sir Bernard Crossland (born October 20, 1923 – died January 17, 2011) was a very important British engineering professor. He worked in engineering for about 70 years! He was given a special honor called Freeman of the City of London in 1987. Later, in 1990, he was made a knight for his great work in Northern Ireland.
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Early Life and Education
Bernard Crossland was born in London, England. After finishing school at Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys in 1940, he started working. He became an engineering apprentice at a famous company called Rolls-Royce. This meant he learned engineering skills while working.
While working, he also studied part-time. He worked very hard and earned his PhD degree in 1953. He got this advanced degree from the University of Bristol.
Teaching and Leadership
Sir Bernard began his teaching career in 1945 at Luton Technical College. After teaching at Bristol University, he became a professor. He taught Mechanical Engineering at The Queen's University of Belfast.
He became a very important leader at Queen's University. He served as Pro-Vice Chancellor before he retired in 1982. In 1986, he was also the president of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. This is a big organization for engineers.
Important Investigations
Even after retiring, Sir Bernard stayed busy. He helped investigate several accidents. One of the most important was the King's Cross fire. This was a terrible fire that happened in a London underground station.
Sir Bernard led a special science team that looked into the fire. His team found out what caused the fire. They also gave ideas on how to stop such a sad event from happening again. His work helped make places safer for everyone.
Later Years and Honors
In his later years, Sir Bernard continued to be involved in academics. He was an Emeritus Professor of Chemical Engineering at Queen's University of Belfast. A building there, where the Computer Science department was, was even named after him for a while.
Sir Bernard received many important awards for his work.
- In 1979, he was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists.
- He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1980.
- In 1990, he was knighted, which is why we call him "Sir Bernard."
- In 2001, he received the Cunningham Medal from the Royal Irish Academy.
Sir Bernard Crossland was a truly dedicated engineer and educator. He made many important contributions to engineering and safety.
