The Pender Chair is the post that is generally held by the head of the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering of

University College London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = � ...

John Pender Sir John Pender KCMG GCMG FSA FRSE (10 September 1816 – 7 July 1896) was a Scottish submarine communications cable pioneer and politician. Early life He was born in the Vale of Leven, Scotland, the son of James Pender and his wife, Marion M ...

(pictured in the caricature on the right), the founder of Cable and Wireless, died in 1896. The Pender Memorial Committee was formed, and collected £6,277 in his memorial. Of this, they decided to donate £5,000 to the Department of Electrical Technology of University College, to enable an expansion of its facilities. This included the founding of the Pender Laboratory, and the inauguration of the Pender Chair. The Department of Electrical Technology had already been formed some years earlier, in 1885, with

John Ambrose Fleming Sir John Ambrose Fleming FRS (29 November 1849 – 18 April 1945) was an English electrical engineer and physicist who invented the first thermionic valve or vacuum tube, designed the radio transmitter with which the first transatlantic rad ...

(pictured below) as its head. He, therefore, became the first incumbent of the Pender Chair of Electrical Engineering. The following references can be found, in the Council Minutes:Council Minutes (2 November 1895, 25 November 1895, 5 December 1896, 9 January 1897), University College London. * 2 November 1895: Letter received from the Technical Education Board offering a grant of £1500 for the improvement of Engineering Teaching. * 25 November 1895: Proposal to endow a Chair of Electrical Engineering as part of a memorial to the late Sir John Pender. * 5 December 1896: Receipt of a Memorandum from the Pender Memorial Committee offering to put the sum of £5,000 in trust with UCL to fund a new Electrical Engineering Laboratory, to be named the Pender Laboratory, and to rename the existing chair of Electrical Engineering the Pender Chair of Electrical Engineering. * 9 January 1897: Mr Swan nominated to represent the Council on the Pender Memorial Committee.

Pender Professors of Electrical Engineering at UCL

* 1899-1925:

* 1926-1934: Wellesley Curram Clinton * 1935–1945:

Reginald Otto Kapp Reginald Otto Kapp (2 August 1885-20 February 1966) was a professor of electrical engineering at UCL. He was appointed to the Pender chair in 1935. References External links www.reginaldkapp.orgG.T.R. Hill * 1950-1966: Harold Barlow * 1966-1979: Alexander Lamb Cullen * 1979-1986:

Eric Ash Sir Eric Albert Ash (31 January 1928 – 22 August 2021) was a British electrical engineer, past Rector of Imperial College and President of IEE, UK. He was elected an international member of the National Academy of Engineering in 2001 for ...

* 1986-1987:

David (DEN) Davies Sir David Evan Naunton Davies (born 28 October 1935) is a British electrical engineer and educator, knighted for services to science and technology in the 1994 New Year Honours. Career *1985–1988: Head of the Department of Electronic and El ...

* 1987-1991: vacant * 1991-2002:

John Edwin Midwinter John Edwin Midwinter OBE FRS FREng (8 March 1938 – 13 November 2021) was a British electrical engineer and professor, who was President of the Institution of Electrical Engineers (now IET) from 2000 to 2001. Education He was educated at St ...

* 2002-2009: vacant * 2009- now:

Michael Pepper Sir Michael Pepper (born 10 August 1942) is a British physicist notable for his work in semiconductor nanostructures. Early life Pepper was born on 10 August 1942 to Morris and Ruby Pepper. He was educated at St Marylebone Grammar School, a g ...

External links

Web page for the history of the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, at University College London

References

{{University College London, academics Engineering education in the United Kingdom Professorships in engineering Professorships at University College London