| Authorised form of name | Williams; James Gordon; mechanical engineer |
| Nationality | British |
| Place of birth | Bebington, Cheshire, England |
| Date of birth | 13 June 1938 |
| Date of death | 21 October 2024 |
| Occupation | Mechanical engineer |
| Research field | Materials Science |
| Engineering |
| Mechanics |
| Fracture mechanics |
| Activity | Education:
Toxteth Technical Institute, Liverpool (1951); Farnborough Technical College, Hampshire (1956); National Gas Turbine Establishment, Pyestock; Royal Aircraft Establishment, Ministry of Defence; Imperial College London BSc 1961; PhD 1963
Career:
Began working in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London (1962); became Chaired Professor (1975); Head of Department (1990-2000).
Memberships:
ESIS
International Congress on Fracture (ICF)
Visiting Professor at the EPFL, Switzerland
Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng) 1982 |
| Membership category | Fellow |
| Date of election | 10/03/1994 |
| Age at election | 55 |
| RSActivity | Royal Society roles:
Council: 1998-2000
Committees:
Armourers & Brasiers' Company Prize Committee 2002-2005
Summer Science Exhibition Committee 2001-2003
Audit Committee 1998-2006
Sectional Committee 4: Engineering and Materials Science 1994-1997 |
| Relationships | Parents: John Williams |
| PublishedWorks | RCN 28469 |
| OtherInfo | He completed his PhD with Hugh Ford on the then new topic of mechanical properties of polymers. This proved an inspired choice since polymer science and engineering grew very rapidly, with major companies developing new materials.
While his interests included all mechanical properties, over time Gordon's emphasis moved towards fracture and particularly fracture mechanics, a rapidly developing field. He published the book Fracture Mechanics of Polymers in 1982. His interest then broadened to include the fracture of composites and adhesives and to providing standard test methods.
Gordon became involved in cutting theory some 15 years ago as a method for measuring the toughness of soft materials, including polymers such as polyethylene but also to foods such as cheese. Biological materials such as gels have been a natural extension of this activity and are a considerable challenge. |
| Source | The Royal Society Fellows Directory, Professor Gordon Williams FREng FRS, [URL: https://royalsociety.org/people/gordon-williams-12535/; last accessed: 02/04/2025]
Imperial College London, Professor James Gordon Williams, FREng FRS 1938 – 2024, Professor A.J. Kinloch, FREng FRS, [URL: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/about-us/history/remembering-mech-eng-staff/gordon-williams/; last accessed: 02/04/2025] |
| Code | NA6205 |
Archives associated with this Fellow
| RefNo | Title | Date |
| IM/004930 | Williams, James Gordon | 1994 |
| EC/1994/40 | Williams, James Gordon: certificate of election to the Royal Society | 1987 |