Hubert Shirley-Smith
Encyclopedia
Sir Hubert Shirley-Smith, OBE, BSc, MICE
(October 13, 1901 – February 10, 1981) was a British
civil engineer
.
Shirley-Smith is perhaps most famous for helping to design the Howrah Bridge
in Calcutta for the India
n Public Works Department
in 1943. He also served in the Engineer and Railway Staff Corps, an unpaid, volunteer Territorial Army unit which provides engineering expertise to the British Army
and was gazetted as a Major
of that corps on 6 October 1953 In 1962 he worked as site agent for the ADC bridge company during construction of the Forth Road Bridge
.
He served as president of the Institution of Civil Engineers
from November 1967 to November 1968, during the 150th anniversary of that institution, and was made a Fellow of Imperial College, London in 1966 Shirley-Smith was a consulting engineer and worked for W.V. Zinn & Associates of London
from 1969 to 1978. During 1968 Shirley-Smith was president of the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering
and helped to arrange the first joint-conferences of the Institution of Civil Engineers
and the American Society of Civil Engineers
.
Shirley-Smith was honoured with an appointment as a Knight Bachelor
on 1 January 1969 in the Queen's New Year Honours, being knighted by the Queen at Buckingham Palace
on 7 March 1969. He was appointed a first class engineer member of the Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers
in 1969. Shirley-Smith was also an author and wrote The World's Great Bridges and the Encyclopaedia Britannica article on bridges. In 1971 he lived in Orpington
in Kent
. Shirley-Smith died on February 10, 1981.
Institution of Civil Engineers
Founded on 2 January 1818, the Institution of Civil Engineers is an independent professional association, based in central London, representing civil engineering. Like its early membership, the majority of its current members are British engineers, but it also has members in more than 150...
(October 13, 1901 – February 10, 1981) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
.
Shirley-Smith is perhaps most famous for helping to design the Howrah Bridge
Howrah Bridge
The Howrah Bridge is a cantilever bridge that spans the Hooghly River in West Bengal, India. Commissioned in 1943, the bridge was originally named the New Howrah Bridge, because it links the city of Howrah to its twin city, Kolkata . On 14 June 1965 it was renamed Rabindra Setu, after Rabindranath...
in Calcutta for the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n Public Works Department
Central Public Works Department
The Central Public Works Department of India is a central government owned authority that is in charge of public sector works in the country. Central Public Works Department under Ministry of Urban Development is entrusted with construction and maintenance of buildings for most of the Central...
in 1943. He also served in the Engineer and Railway Staff Corps, an unpaid, volunteer Territorial Army unit which provides engineering expertise to the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
and was gazetted as a Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
of that corps on 6 October 1953 In 1962 he worked as site agent for the ADC bridge company during construction of the Forth Road Bridge
Forth Road Bridge
The Forth Road Bridge is a suspension bridge in east central Scotland. The bridge, opened in 1964, spans the Firth of Forth, connecting the capital city Edinburgh, at South Queensferry, to Fife, at North Queensferry...
.
He served as president of the Institution of Civil Engineers
Institution of Civil Engineers
Founded on 2 January 1818, the Institution of Civil Engineers is an independent professional association, based in central London, representing civil engineering. Like its early membership, the majority of its current members are British engineers, but it also has members in more than 150...
from November 1967 to November 1968, during the 150th anniversary of that institution, and was made a Fellow of Imperial College, London in 1966 Shirley-Smith was a consulting engineer and worked for W.V. Zinn & Associates of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
from 1969 to 1978. During 1968 Shirley-Smith was president of the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering
International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering
The International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering is a non-profit organisation with mission to promote the exchange of knowledge and to advance the practice of structural engineering worldwide in the service of the profession and society, taking into consideration technical,...
and helped to arrange the first joint-conferences of the Institution of Civil Engineers
Institution of Civil Engineers
Founded on 2 January 1818, the Institution of Civil Engineers is an independent professional association, based in central London, representing civil engineering. Like its early membership, the majority of its current members are British engineers, but it also has members in more than 150...
and the American Society of Civil Engineers
American Society of Civil Engineers
The American Society of Civil Engineers is a professional body founded in 1852 to represent members of the civil engineering profession worldwide. It is the oldest national engineering society in the United States. ASCE's vision is to have engineers positioned as global leaders who strive toward...
.
Shirley-Smith was honoured with an appointment as a Knight Bachelor
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
on 1 January 1969 in the Queen's New Year Honours, being knighted by the Queen at Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
on 7 March 1969. He was appointed a first class engineer member of the Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers
Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers
The Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers was founded in 1771, and was originally known as the Society of Civil Engineers, being renamed following its founder's death...
in 1969. Shirley-Smith was also an author and wrote The World's Great Bridges and the Encyclopaedia Britannica article on bridges. In 1971 he lived in Orpington
Orpington
Orpington is a suburban town and electoral ward in the London Borough of Bromley. It forms the southeastern edge of London's urban sprawl and is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. Shirley-Smith died on February 10, 1981.