{{Short description|Scottish engineer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}} {{Use British English|date=September 2017}} '''Sir John William Atwell''' [[CBE]] [[PRSE]] [[FREng]] [[FIMechE]] (24 November 1911 – 5 July 1999) was a Scottish engineer.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/obits_alpha/atwell_john.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=15 May 2013 |archive-date=22 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141222012828/http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/obits_alpha/atwell_john.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://heritage.imeche.org/Biographies/JWAtwell|title = Engineering Heritage Awards|accessdate=21 December 2022|website=imeche.org}}</ref><ref>ATWELL, Sir John (William), ''Who Was Who'', A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2012; online edn, Nov 2012 [http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U176628 accessed 15 May 2013]</ref>
==Life== {{Moresources|section|date=December 2022}}
John Atwell was born in [[Glasgow]] in 1911, the son of William Atwell (d. 1953) and his wife, Sarah Workman. He was educated at [[Hyndland Secondary School]] in Glasgow before serving an apprenticeship with [[Yarrow Shipbuilders]] in [[Scotstoun]].
In 1939, he was awarded an MSc from [[King's College, Cambridge]], where he studied as a Caird Travelling Scholar. During the [[Second World War]], he worked as a manager at Stewarts & Lloyds, one of the largest shell manufacturers in Britain at the time.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12359220.Sir_John_Atwell/|title=Sir John Atwell|date=10 July 1999 |accessdate=21 December 2022}}</ref>
Atwell was elected a Fellow of the [[Royal Society of Edinburgh]] in 1963. His proposers included Sir [[Samuel Curran]], [[John Currie Gunn]], Sir [[David Stirling Anderson]], and [[Frederick Malloch Bruce]]. He served as Treasurer of the Society from 1977 to 1982 and as President from 1982 to 1985. In recognition of his service, he was awarded the Society’s Bicentenary Medal in 1992.<ref>{{cite book|title=Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002|date=July 2006|publisher=The Royal Society of Edinburgh|isbn=0-902-198-84-X|url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|access-date=15 July 2017|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304074135/https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
From 1968 to 1970, he served as Chairman of the [[Weir Group]]. He was awarded an honorary doctorate (LLD) by [[University of Strathclyde]] in 1973.{{cn|date=December 2022}}
Atwell was appointed a [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire|Commander of the British Empire]] (CBE) in 1970 and was knighted by Queen [[Elizabeth II]] in 1976. He died in Glasgow; his remains were cremated.{{cn|date=December 2022}}
==Family== In 1945, he married Dorothy Baxter, sister of his friend, Allan Baxter.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12359220.Sir_John_Atwell/|title=Sir John Atwell|date=10 July 1999 |accessdate=21 December 2022}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Sources== *{{Cite book |url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf |title=Former Fellows of The Royal Society of Edinburgh, 1783–2002: Part 1 (A–J) |author=C D Waterston |author2=A Macmillan Shearer |website=[[Royal Society of Edinburgh]] |isbn=090219884X |date=July 2006 |publisher=RSE Scotland Foundation |access-date=18 September 2015 |archive-date=24 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130124115814/http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf |url-status=dead}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Atwell, John William}} [[Category:1911 births]] [[Category:1999 deaths]] [[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]] [[Category:Presidents of the Royal Society of Edinburgh]] [[Category:Knights Bachelor]] [[Category:Scottish knights]] [[Category:Fellows_of_the_Royal_Academy_of_Engineering]]