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William James Larke

Sir William James Larke KBE was a British engineer, industrial administrator and director of scientific research. He was the first director of the British Iron and Steel Federation and the first president of the British Welding Research Association.

Life and Career

William Larke was born on 26 April 1875 at Ladywell, Kent. He was the eldest son of William James Larke, builder, and his wife, Rosa, née Barton. He was educated at Colfe's School, Lewisham, and at Regent Street Polytechnic. As an apprentice he received his engineering training at H. F. Joel & Co., in Finsbury. In 1895, he joined Siemens Brothers, in Woolwich and was in charge of their calibrating and instrument-testing department.

Around 1900, he worked in a technical function at the British Thomson-Houston Company, and became manager of the power and mining department and executive engineer. In 1914 he joined the Ministry of Munitions, where he worked in several positions before he became director-general of raw materials.

Service during WW1

In 1915 he joined the newly established Ministry of Munitions and was appointed director-general of raw materials in 1919

His services during the war years were acknowledged by the conferment of the OBE in 1917, the CBE in 1920 and the KBE in 1921.

Inter-war period

After the war, Larke argued for control of imports and protection for the British iron and steel industry. This policy was accepted by the government and formed part of the Import Duties of 1932. During this time Larke corresponded on research with William Bragg and Lawrence Bragg

Service during WW2

Larke was chairman of Iron and Steel Research Council from 1938 to 1945.. He was also chairman from the formation of the Institute of Welding's Welding Research Council in 1936. Out of this came research results of great value in the war effort of 1939-46, and out of it the British Welding Research Association was formed in 1946. In 1939 he was made chairman of the advisory committee of non-ferrous metals at the Ministry of Supply. From 1942 until the end of the war he was controller of non-ferrous mineral development.

Personal Life

In 1900, he married Louisa Jane (d.1959), daughter of James Tayler Milton (whom Larke co-authored with). They had a son, William Milton Larke CBE, who became general manager of Stewarts & Lloyds Bilston, and daughter, Joyce.

Societies and institutions

• Initiated the formation of the Institute of Welding, and was president from 1938-1939.
• First president of the British Welding Research Association.
• Joined the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) as an Associate in 1897 and became a Member in 1906. He participated in the Birmingham Local Section Committee from 1910 to 1913.
• Served as president of the Institute of Fuel, the British Standards Institution, the Junior Institution of Engineers and the Institute of Engineers-in-Charge.
• Honorary member and vice-president of the Iron and Steel Institute and received the Institute's highest award, the Bessemer Gold Medal, in 1947.
• Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers

Awards

• Bessemer Gold Medal (1947)
• Honorary Doctor of Science (1945) of the University of Durham
• Awarded the Fox Gold Medal by the Institute of British Foundrymen in (1953)

Legacy

In his obituary, Nature described Larke as a powerful advocate of scientific research in the service of industry.

From 1944, the Sir William Larke Medal was awarded annually, and later bi-annually, until 2009 when it was combined to form the Applied Technology Award.

Applied Technology Award

The Welding Institute, the professional membership arm of TWI, awards annually the Applied Technology Award in memory of Sir William Larke and Sir Charles Lillicrap to the individual or team who has had most influence or impact upon the practical application of novel welding or joining knowledge or technology. It combines, from 2009, the Sir William J Larke Medal and the Sir Charles Lillicrap Medal.