Tom D Patten
1991
Professor Tom Patten
(1926-1999)
Tom Patten was born in
1926. He was educated at Leith Academy, then attended Edinburgh University,
where he obtained an BSc and PhD. He was a Captain in the Royal Electrical and
Mechanical Engineers, serving between 1946 and 1948.
In 1950 he began working
as Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Engineering, Edinburgh University,
later working as Lecturer and Senior Lecturer. He remained at Edinburgh
University until 1967.
He then moved to
Heriot-Watt University, where he set up and became Director of the Institute of
Offshore Engineering. He also assisted with the formation of the departments of
petroleum engineering and offshore engineering and the Heriot-Watt Marine
Technology Centre. After reaching the position of Vice-Chancellor of
Heriot-Watt University, he left in 1982 to develop his technological, industrial
and commercial interests.
In 1981 he was appointed
a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
He was Chairman of
Sealand Industries, on the supervisory board of the National Engineering
Laboratory, and Director and Chairman of Marine Technology
Directorate.
He was President of the
Institution of Mechanical Engineers in 1991. He died in 1999.