{{Short description|British mechanical engineer (1883–1977)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}} {{Use British English|date=April 2018}} {{Infobox scientist | name = Andrew Robertson | native_name = | native_name_lang = | image = <!--(filename only, i.e. without "File:" prefix)--> | image_size = | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date|1883|1|30|df=y}} | birth_place = | death_date = {{death date and age|1977|10|22|1883|1|30|df=y}} | death_place = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = <!--{{coord|LAT|LONG|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}--> | other_names = | residence = | citizenship = | nationality = | fields = | workplaces = [[University of Bristol]] | patrons = | alma_mater = [[University of Manchester]] | thesis_title = <!--(or | thesis1_title = and | thesis2_title = )--> | thesis_url = <!--(or | thesis1_url = and | thesis2_url = )--> | thesis_year = <!--(or | thesis1_year = and | thesis2_year = )--> | doctoral_advisor = <!--(or | doctoral_advisors = )--> | academic_advisors = | doctoral_students = | notable_students = | known_for = | author_abbrev_bot = | author_abbrev_zoo = | influences = | influenced = | awards = [[Fellow of the Royal Society|FRS]] (1940)<ref name=frs/> Whitworth Exhibitioner (1904)<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Whitworth Register, 2017|publisher=The Whitworth Society|pages=36,136}}</ref> | signature = <!--(filename only)--> | spouse = <!--(or | spouses = )--> | children = | death_cause = | education = | partner = <!--(or | partners = )--> }} '''Andrew Robertson''' [[Fellow of the Royal Society|FRS]]<ref name="frs">{{cite journal|doi=10.1098/rsbm.1978.0016 |doi-access=free|title = Andrew Robertson. 30 January 1883 – 22 October 1977|journal = Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society|volume = 24|pages = 514–528|year = 1978|last1 = Pugsley|first1 = A.| s2cid=73304148 }}</ref> D.Sc. MIMechE, MICE, [[The Whitworth Society|Wh.E]]<nowiki/>x (30 January 1883 in [[Lancashire]] &ndash; 22 October 1977) was a British [[mechanical engineer]].

==Education== He was the son of a marine engineer and was apprenticed at his father's works - J. Robertson & Sons in Fleetwood, Lancashire. He was a graduate of the [[University of Manchester]], with a first-class honours degree, a Fairbairn engineering prize and a [[The Whitworth Society|Whitworth Exhibitioner]] in 1904.

==Career and research== He was a demonstrator and tutor at the university. He investigated [[mild steel]] with Gilbert Cook.<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1098/rsbm.1952.0007 |doi-access=free|title = Gilbert Cook. 1885-1951|journal = Obituary Notices of Fellows of the Royal Society|volume = 8|issue = 21|pages = 108–117|year = 1952|last1 = Robertson|first1 = A.| s2cid=121426358 }}</ref> During [[World War I]], he worked at the [[Royal Aircraft Establishment]] at [[Farnborough Airfield]].

He was appointed Professor of [[Mechanical Engineering]] at the [[University of Bristol]]. In 1924, he was elected Principal of the college and dean of the faculty.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://heritage.imeche.org/historyimeche/pastpresidents/president/ProfessorAndrewRoberton.htm |title= Engineering Heritage Awards - IMechE|website=heritage.imeche.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100905003417/http://heritage.imeche.org/historyimeche/pastpresidents/president/ProfessorAndrewRoberton.htm |archive-date=5 September 2010}}</ref> A room is named for him at Bristol University.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bris.ac.uk/engineering/staff/roomkey.html |title= Bristol University &#124; Faculty of Engineering &#124; Room Key|website=www.bris.ac.uk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607074805/http://www.bris.ac.uk/engineering/staff/roomkey.html |archive-date=7 June 2011}}</ref>

==Awards and honours== Robertson was elected a [[List of Fellows of the Royal Society elected in 1940|Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1940]].<ref name=frs/> His candidature citation stated that he was "Distinguished for his experimental researches in problems relating to the strength of materials. Much of this work was done during the War (his study of the elastic properties of timber calls for special mention) and has not been published under his own name, but his papers on the drop of stress which occurs at yield (with G Cook), and on the strength of solid and tubular struts are classic. He has played a great part in the building up of the Engineering School at Bristol. Member of the Advisory Council DSIR".<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www2.royalsociety.org/DServe/dserve.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqSearch=RefNo=='EC%2F1940%2F19'&dsqCmd=Show.tcl|title= Library and Archive Catalogue|publisher= The Royal Society|accessdate= 7 October 2010}} {{dead link|date=December 2015}}</ref>

Robertson was a [[The Whitworth Society|Whitworth Exhibitioner]] in 1904, and later went on to be President of the [[The Whitworth Society|Whitworth Society]] in 1947.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Whitworth Register, 2017|publisher=The Whitworth Society|pages=36,136}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{s-start}} {{s-npo|pro}} {{s-bef|before=[[Harry Ralph Ricardo]] }} {{s-ttl|title=[[President (corporate title)|President]] of the [[Institution of Mechanical Engineers]] |years=1945 }} {{s-aft|after=[[Oliver Vaughan Snell Bulleid]] }} {{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robertson, Andrew}} [[Category:1883 births]] [[Category:1977 deaths]] [[Category:Engineers from Lancashire]] [[Category:People from Fleetwood]] [[Category:Fellows of the Royal Society]] [[Category:Alumni of the University of Manchester]]