Denis Rooke facts for kids

Sir Denis Eric Rooke (April 2, 1924 – September 2, 2008) was an important English engineer and leader in the gas industry. He played a huge part in bringing natural gas from the North Sea to homes and businesses across Britain.

Early Life and Education

Denis Rooke was born in New Cross, London, in 1924. His father was a printer and salesman, and his mother was Ada Emily Brown. Denis went to Westminster City School and Addey and Stanhope School.

He then studied mechanical engineering at University College London. He earned a top degree in 1944. After college, he joined the REME (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers), which is part of the British Army. He served in Britain and India until 1949, reaching the rank of major.

In 1949, he also earned a special diploma in chemical engineering from University College. That same year, he married Elizabeth Brenda Evans. They had one daughter named Diana.

A Career in Gas

Denis Rooke started working in the gas industry in 1949. He first worked with products made from coal tar. Later, he joined North Thames Gas in 1957. Here, he focused on new ways to make gas for towns from natural gas and oil.

He also worked on liquefied natural gas (LNG). This is natural gas that has been cooled down to a liquid so it can be easily transported. He was a pioneer in shipping LNG by sea. In 1959, he was on the ship Methane Pioneer. This ship made the very first delivery of LNG to the UK at Canvey Island.

Bringing North Sea Gas to Britain

In 1966, Rooke joined the board of the Gas Council. This was a major organization in the gas industry. He was in charge of finding and developing new gas fields. His biggest success was helping to bring natural gas from the North Sea to homes, shops, and factories all over Britain.

This was a massive project! It meant changing every gas appliance in the country to work with the new natural gas. It also involved building a huge network of high-pressure pipelines across Britain. Rooke called this "perhaps the biggest peacetime operation in the nation's history."

Leading British Gas

In 1972, Rooke became the deputy chairman of the Gas Council. In 1973, he helped combine the Gas Council and 12 separate gas companies into one big company called the British Gas Corporation.

Rooke became the chairman of the British Gas Corporation in 1976. He led the company through some big changes. The government wanted to change how nationalized industries like British Gas worked. In 1986, British Gas became a private company, meaning its shares could be bought and sold on the stock market. Rooke insisted that British Gas should be privatized as one whole company. He remained chairman until he retired in 1989.

Awards and Recognitions

Sir Denis Rooke received many honors for his work:

• He was made a CBE in 1970.
• He was made a Knight in 1977, which is why he is called "Sir."
• In 1997, he was given the Order of Merit, a very special award.
• He was a Fellow of University College London in 1972.
• He was the Chancellor of Loughborough University from 1989 to 2003. A building there is named after him.
• He received an honorary degree from the University of Bath in 1987.
• He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1978 and won the Rumford Medal in 1986.
• He was Chairman of the Council for National Academic Awards from 1978 to 1983.
• He was President of the Royal Academy of Engineering from 1986 to 1991. He received the Prince Philip Medal in 1992.
• He was a Trustee of the Science Museum from 1983 to 1995, and its Chairman in 1995.

Later Life

Sir Denis Rooke passed away on September 2, 2008, at the age of 84. His wife, Lady Rooke, died in 2017.