Right. You want me to take this dry, dusty Wikipedia entry and… infuse it with something. Interesting. Let's see what we can dredge up from the sludge. Don't expect sunshine and rainbows; this is mechanical engineering, after all. It’s about gears grinding, metal fatigue, and the slow, inevitable march of progress. Much like my own internal monologue.
Institution of Mechanical Engineers
An independent engineering society, with its headquarters firmly planted in the unyielding soil of central London.
Institution of Mechanical Engineers Established: 27 January 1847; 178 years ago (1847-01-27) Founder: George Stephenson Type: Professional association, Professional title, Chartered Engineer Headquarters: 1 Birdcage Walk, London, England Region served: Worldwide Services: Professional accreditation, Library Membership: 115,000 (2023) Key people: President: Matt Garside (2025) Chief executive: Dr Alice Bunn (since July 2021) Website: imeche.org
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers, or IMechE as it’s tediously known, is an independent professional association and learned society. Its heart beats in London, a city that’s seen more than its fair share of both progress and decay. It’s a global entity, representing mechanical engineers and, by extension, the relentless drive of the engineering profession itself. With a membership that sprawls across 140 countries and numbers over 110,000 souls—individuals toiling in the grimy trenches of railways, the polished chrome of automotive, the soaring heights of aerospace, the clatter of manufacturing, the hum of energy, the delicate intricacies of the biomedical field, and the brute force of construction—the Institution holds sway. It’s licensed by the Engineering Council, a rather official-sounding body, to grant the coveted titles of Chartered Engineer, Incorporated Engineer, and Engineering Technician. They’re the gatekeepers, I suppose.
The genesis of this whole affair traces back to 1847, in Birmingham, no less, a city synonymous with industry. George Stephenson, a name that echoes through the annals of iron and steam, is credited as its founder. A Royal Charter was bestowed upon it in 1930, a nod from the monarchy to this engine of progress. The Institution’s headquarters, a building purpose-built in 1899, stands at No. 1 Birdcage Walk in the heart of London. It’s a rather solid address, wouldn't you agree? A monument to permanence in a city that’s anything but.
Origins
The whispers of its inception began in 1846, with informal gatherings. Some say they convened at the residence of locomotive designer Charles Beyer in Manchester, others point to Bromsgrove, at the home of James McConnell, after a rather intense viewing of locomotive trials at the Lickey Incline. Present were Beyer, Richard Peacock, George Selby, Archibald Slate, and Edward Humphrys. Bromsgrove seems the more probable starting point, given McConnell’s significant influence in those nascent years. A more formal meeting was convened at the Queen's Hotel in Birmingham on October 7th to iron out the details, and a committee, with McConnell at its helm, was appointed to shepherd the idea into reality.
And so, on January 27, 1847, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers was officially born. The venue? The Queen's Hotel, adjacent to the Curzon Street station in Birmingham. McConnell, naturally, took the reins as the first chairman. The official narrative, as spun by Stephenson's biographer Samuel Smiles, suggests a righteous indignation fueled the founding: Stephenson, the titan of his age, was apparently denied entry to the Institution of Civil Engineers unless he submitted a "probationary essay" to prove his mettle. A rather demeaning prospect, even for a genius. However, this account has been subjected to scrutiny, often painted as part of Smiles's elaborate tapestry of heroic struggle, designed to elevate the achievements of Victorian engineers. While a certain frostiness between Stephenson and the civil engineers is undeniable, it’s more probable that the true impetus was the simple, undeniable need for a dedicated sanctuary for the burgeoning legions of mechanical engineers powering the railway and manufacturing boom. A space to call their own.
Beyer, ever the pragmatist, proposed George Stephenson as the Institution’s inaugural president in 1847. His son, Robert Stephenson, followed suit in 1849. Beyer himself served as vice-president and was among the first to present papers, a testament to his active engagement. Charles Geach filled the treasurer's role. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the presidency was graced by luminaries such as Joseph Whitworth, Carl Wilhelm Siemens, and Harry Ricardo. The Institution operated from Birmingham until 1877, when it packed up its gears and moved to London, eventually settling into its current, rather imposing headquarters on Birdcage Walk in 1899.
Birdcage Walk
No. 1 Birdcage Walk
Upon its relocation to London in 1877, the Institution initially occupied rented premises at No. 10 Victoria Chambers. This arrangement lasted for two decades. Then, in 1895, the Institution acquired a plot of land at Storey's Gate, at the eastern edge of Birdcage Walk, for a sum of £9,500. The architect, Basil Slade, apparently drew inspiration from the recently completed Admiralty buildings across the way. The resulting structure, erected in the Queen Anne, 'streaky bacon', style, was clad in red brick and Portland stone. Inside, it boasted features that were cutting-edge for its time: a telephone, a rather substantial 54-inch fan in the lecture theatre to assist with ventilation, an electric lift from the esteemed Otis Elevator Company, and a Synchronome master-clock to keep all the house timepieces in sync. In 1933, architect James Miller, the same chap who designed the adjacent Institution of Civil Engineers, undertook a remodelling, expanding the library and introducing electric lighting.
This very building, No. 1 Birdcage Walk, would later bear witness to the first public unveiling of Frank Whittle's revolutionary jet engine in 1945. And in 1943, it served as the clandestine nerve center for the Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers' strategic planning for Operation Overlord, the D-Day invasion of Normandy. Today, the building remains a hub of activity, hosting events, lectures, seminars, and meetings within its 17 conference and meeting rooms, each thoughtfully named after notable former members of the Institution—Whittle, Stephenson, and Charles Parsons, among them.
Membership Grades and Post-Nominals
The Institution, in its infinite wisdom, categorizes its members into various grades, each marked by specific post-nominals that signify their standing. It's a hierarchy, of sorts.
- Affiliate: This is the entry-level, the purgatory for students, apprentices, and anyone with a passing interest in the mechanical arts. No special letters attached, naturally.
- AMIMechE: Associate Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. This is for the graduates, those who have managed to acquire degrees (or their equivalent) in engineering, mathematics, or science. They're on their way, I suppose.
- MIMechE: Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. This signifies a more substantial achievement. To reach this level, one must meet the educational and professional prerequisites for registration as a Chartered Mechanical Engineer (CEng, MIMechE). It also opens the door to registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng), an Incorporated Engineer (IEng), or an Engineering Technician (EngTech) in the field of mechanical engineering. A solid rung on the ladder.
- FIMechE: Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. This is the pinnacle, the highest echelon of elected membership. It’s reserved for those who have demonstrated an exceptional, almost fanatical, commitment to and innovation within mechanical engineering. True devotees, or perhaps just those who’ve outlasted the rest.
Awards
The Institution bestows various accolades, each a testament to engineering prowess.
The James Watt International Medal, established in 1937, is a rather grand award recognizing excellence in engineering. It's named, rather predictably, after James Watt, the chap who tinkered with the Watt steam engine in 1781, a contraption that fundamentally reshaped the world during the Industrial Revolution.
Then there’s the Whitworth Scholarship. This is a rather exclusive award, granted to a select few promising engineers across the main disciplines. Upon successful completion of their studies, they become Whitworth Scholars, complete with a medal and the privilege of using the post-nominal Wh.Sch. A legacy of Joseph Whitworth.
The [Engineering Heritage Awards], inaugurated in 1984, serve to highlight and celebrate artifacts, locations, collections, and landmarks of significant engineering importance. Because apparently, even inanimate objects deserve recognition.
The Energy, Environment and Sustainability Group Prize, a more recent creation from 2017, aims to acknowledge individuals who have made substantial contributions towards bridging the chasm between our unsustainable present and a more hopeful future. A rather ambitious goal, wouldn't you say?
In collaboration with The Manufacturer, the Institution also oversees The Manufacturer MX Awards. And then there's Formula Student, a rather boisterous affair that claims to be the world's largest student motorsport event.
The Tribology Gold Medal, awarded annually for outstanding achievements in the field of tribology – the science of friction, wear, and lubrication, for those who were already losing interest – is funded by The Tribology Trust Fund. It was first presented in 1972, and as of 2017, it had been bestowed upon 39 individuals hailing from 12 different countries. A truly international affair of friction.
Tribology Gold Medal Laureates
| Year | Awardee | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Bo Persson | Sweden |
| 2021 | Jim Greenwood | UK |
| 2020 | Bharat Bhusan | USA |
| 2019 | Jean-Michel Martin | France |
| 2018 | Nicholas Spencer | Switzerland |
| 2017 | Kenneth Holmberg | Finland |
| 2016 | Friedrich Franek | Austria |
| 2015 | Shizu Wen | China |
| 2014 | Gwidon Stachowiak | Australia |
| 2013 | Jacob Israelachvili | USA |
| 2012 | Jacob Klein | Israel |
| 2011 | Qunji Xue | China |
| 2010 | Frank Talke | USA |
| 2009 | Irena Goryacheva | Russia |
| 2008 | Eustathios Ioannides | UK |
| 2007 | Koji Kato | Japan |
| 2006 | Roberto Bassani | Italy |
| 2005 | Dmitri Garkunov | Russia |
| 2004 | Hugh Spikes | UK |
| 2003 | Yoshitsuga Kimura | Japan |
| 2002 | Nikolai Bushe | Russia |
| 2001 | Wilfried Bartz | Germany |
| 2000 | Lou Rozeanu | Israel |
| 1999 | Jean Frene | France |
| 1998 | Ernest Ravinowicz | USA |
| 1997 | Bo O. Jacobson | Sweden |
| 1996 | Virgiliu N. Constantinescu | Romania |
| 1995 | Stanislaw J. Pytko | Poland |
| 1994 | Jean-Marie Georges | France |
| 1993 | Ken Ludema | USA |
| 1992 | Herbert S. Cheng | USA |
| 1991 | Avtandil V. Chichinadze | USSR |
| 1990 | Toshio Sakurai | Japan |
| 1989 | Gerd Fleischer | Germany |
| 1988 | Maurice Godet | France |
| 1987 | Fujio Hirano | Japan |
| 1986 | Ward O. Winer | USA |
| 1985 | Kenneth L. Johnson | UK |
| 1984 | Heinz Peeken | Germany |
| 1983 | Alastair Cameron | UK |
| 1982 | Georgi V. Vinogradov | USSR |
| 1981 | Norimune Soda | Japan |
| 1980 | Mylon E. Merchant | USA |
| 1979 | Duncan Dowson | UK |
| 1978 | D. D. Fuller | USA |
| 1977 | Frederick T. Barwell | UK |
| 1976 | Robert L. Johnson | USA |
| 1975 | Igor V. Kragelski | USSR |
| 1974 | Mayo D. Hersey | USA |
| 1973 | Harmen Blok | Netherlands |
| 1972 | David Tabor | UK |
Presidents
The Institution's annual dinner in 1898, held in the carriage works of the Midland Railway at Derby. Samuel Johnson, the railway's Chief Mechanical Engineer, was the president at the time. A rather industrial setting for such an occasion.
As of 2020, the Institution has seen 135 presidents. Since 1922, their tenure has been an annual affair, a one-year stint. The lineage began with George Stephenson, followed by his son, Robert. Before 2018, only a select few—Joseph Whitworth, John Penn, and William Armstrong—had the distinction of serving two terms.
A significant shift occurred in 1997 when Pamela Liversidge broke the mold, becoming the first female president. Professor Isobel Pollock followed in her footsteps in 2012, and Carolyn Griffiths became the third in 2017. Progress, I suppose. Slowly.
List of Presidents
| No. | Years | Name | Sphere of influence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1847–1848 | George Stephenson | railway engineer |
| 2 | 1849–1853 | Robert Stephenson | railway engineer, MP |
| 3 | 1854–1855 | William Fairbairn | manufacturer, trader, ironmaster, bridge, mill wheels, ships, later made baronet. |
| 4 | 1856–1857 | Joseph Whitworth (First term) | pioneer of machine tools, precision engineering |
| 5 | 1858–1859 | John Penn (First term) | Marine Steam engines |
| 6 | 1860 | James Kennedy | Marine engines and locomotives |
| 7 | 1861–1862 | William George Armstrong (First term) | Industrialist and inventor, primarily of armaments. Pioneer of domestic electricity |
| 8 | 1863–1865 | Robert Napier | Ship building and Marine engines |
| 4 | 1865–1866 | Joseph Whitworth (Second term) | pioneer of machine tools, precision engineering |
| 5 | 1866–1868 | John Penn (Second term) | Marine Steam Engines |
| 7 | 1868–1869 | William George Armstrong (Second term) | Industrialist and inventor, primarily of armaments. Pioneer of domestic electricity |
| 9 | 1870–1871 | John Ramsbottom | railway engineer |
| 10 | 1872–1873 | Carl Wilhelm Siemens | Metallurgist and electrical engineer |
| 11 | 1874–1875 | Frederick Joseph Bramwell | Steam engines and boilers |
| 12 | 1876–1877 | Thomas Hawksley | water and gas engineer |
| 13 | 1878–1879 | John Robinson | Steam Engines |
| 14 | 1880–1881 | Edward Alfred Cowper | Metallurgist, inventor of Cowper pot |
| 15 | 1882–1883 | Percy G. B. Westmacott | Hydraulic machinery |
| 16 | 1884 | Isaac Lowthian Bell | Iron master |
| 17 | 1885–1886 | Jeremiah Head | Steam powered agricultural machinery |
| 18 | 1887–1888 | Edward Carbutt | Iron and steel making |
| 19 | 1889 | Charles Cochrane | Iron and steel making |
| 20 | 1890–1891 | Joseph Tomlinson | Locomotive Superintendent |
| 21 | 1892–1893 | William Anderson | Bridges and factories |
| 22 | 1894–1895 | Alexander Kennedy | Professor of engineering, University College London |
| 23 | 1896–1897 | Edward Windsor Richards | Iron master |
| 24 | 1898 | Samuel Waite Johnson | Chief Mechanical Engineer, Midland Railway |
| 25 | 1899–1900 | William Henry White | Naval architect |
| 26 | 1901–1902 | William Maw | Editor, Engineering |
| 27 | 1903–1904 | Joseph Hartley Wicksteed | Testing machines and machine tools |
| 28 | 1905–1906 | Edward Pritchard Martin | Iron and steel making |
| 29 | 1907–1908 | Tom Hurry Riches | Chief engineer, Taff Vale Railway |
| 30 | 1909–1910 | John Aspinall | Chief Mechanical Engineer, Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway |
| 31 | 1911–1912 | Edward B. Ellington | Hydraulic machinery |
| 32 | 1913–1914 | Hay Frederick Donaldson | Royal Ordnance |
| 33 | 1915–1916 | William Unwin | oil engine research |
| 34 | 1917–1918 | Michael Longridge | Chief Engineer |
| 35 | 1919 | Edward Hopkinson | Electric Traction. Died during year of office |
| 36 | 1920–1921 | Matthew Henry Phineas Riall Sankey | Military engineering, oil engines and wireless telegraphy |
| 37 | 1922 | Dr Henry Selby Hele-Shaw | Prof. Mechanical Engineering at Liverpool University |
| 38 | 1923 | John Dewrance | Inventor |
| 39 | 1924 | William Henry Patchell | Electricity supply |
| 40 | 1925 | Vincent Raven | Chief Mechanical Engineer, North Eastern Railway |
| 41 | 1926 | William Reavell | Compressor manufacturer |
| 42 | 1927 | Henry Fowler | Chief Mechanical Engineer, Midland Railway and London Midland & Scottish Railway |
| 43 | 1928 | Richard William Allen | Pumps and Marine equipment |
| 44 | 1929 | Daniel Adamson | Gears, cranes and cutting tools |
| 45 | 1930 | Loughnan St Lawrence Pendred | Editor of The Engineer |
| 46 | 1931 | Edwin Kitson Clark | Locomotive Engineer |
| 47 | 1932 | William Taylor | Lens Manufacturing |
| 48 | 1933 | Alan Ernest Leofric Chorlton | Pumps and Diesel engines, MP |
| 49 | 1934 | Charles Day | Steam and diesel engines |
| 50 | 1935 | Major-General Alexander Elliott Davidson | Mechanised military transport |
| 51 | 1936 | Nigel Gresley | Chief Mechanical Engineer, London & North Eastern Railway |
| 52 | 1937 | John Edward Thornycroft | Ship building and motor vehicle design |
| 53 | 1938 | David E Roberts | Iron and steel manufacture |
| 54 | 1939 | E. Bruce Ball | Motor Vehicles and hydraulic valves |
| 55 | 1940 | Asa Binns | Engineer |
| 56 | 1941 | William Stanier | Chief Mechanical Engineer, London, Midland & Scottish Railway |
| 57 | 1942 | Col Stephen Joseph Thompson | Boilers |
| 58 | 1943 | Frederick Charles Lea | Engineering Professor at Birmingham and Sheffield Universities |
| 59 | 1944 | Harry Ricardo | Automotive engineer. Founder, Ricardo Consulting |
| 60 | 1945 | Andrew Robertson | Prof. Mechanical engineering at Bristol University |
| 61 | 1946 | Oliver Bulleid | Chief Mechanical Engineer, Southern Railway |
| 62 | 1947 | Lord Dudley Gordon | Refrigeration engineering |
| 63 | 1948 | E. William Gregson | Marine engines |
| 64 | 1949 | H. J. Gough | Metal fatigue, engineering research |
| 65 | 1950 | Stanley Fabes Dorey | Chief engineer surveyor |
| 66 | 1951 | Arthur Clifford Hartley | Chief engineer, Anglo-Iranian Oil Co. inventor, Pluto and Fido |
| 67 | 1952 | David Randall Pye | Air Ministry research engineer |
| 68 | 1953 | Alfred Roebuck | Engineering metallurgy |
| 69 | 1954 | Richard William Bailey | High temperature steel and materials research |
| 70 | 1955 | Percy Lewis Jones | Marine engines and ship building |
| 71 | 1956 | Thomas Arkle Crowe | Marine Engines |
| 72 | 1957 | George Nelson | Chairman English Electric |
| 73 | 1958 | Robert Owen Jones | Aircraft Engineer |
| 74 | 1959 | Herbert Desmond Carter | Diesel Engines |
| 75 | 1960 | Owen Saunders | Prof. Mechanical Engineering Imperial College London |
| 76 | 1961 | Charles Hague | Chairman, Babcock & Wilcox |
| 77 | 1962 | John Hereward Pitchford | Internal Combustion engines |
| 78 | 1963 | Roland Curling Bond | Chief Mechanical Engineer, British Railways [15] |
| 79 | 1964 | Frank Mason | Engineer in chief, Royal Navy |
| 80 | 1965 | Harold Norman Gwynne Allen | Power Transmission |
| 81 | 1966 | Lord Hinton of Bankside | Pioneer of nuclear power |
| 82 | 1967 | Hugh Graham Conway | Aero-engines and gas turbines |
| 83 | 1968 | Arnold Lewis George Lindley | Chairman of General Electric Company |
| 84 | 1969 | Donald Frederick Galloway | Manufacturing and machine tool engineer |
| 85 | 1970 | John Lamb Murray Morrison | Prof. Mechanical engineering Bristol University |
| 86 | 1971 | Robert Lickley | Aircraft engineer |
| 87 | 1972 | Lord Stokes | Chief executive, British Leyland |
| 88 | 1973 | John William Atwell | Steel industry and pump manufacture |
| 89 | 1974 | St John de Hold Elstub | Metals |
| 90 | 1975 | Paul Thomas Fletcher | Process plan and nuclear power plant |
| 91 | 1976 | Ewen McEwen | Chief engineer, Lucas |
| 92 | 1977 | Hugh Ford | Professor of mechanical engineering, Imperial College London |
| 93 | 1978 | Diarmuid Downs | Internal combustion engines |
| 94 | 1979 | James Gordon Dawson | Chief Engineer, Shell |
| 95 | 1980 | Bryan Hildrew | Managing Director, Lloyd's Register of Shipping |
| 96 | 1981 | Francis David Penny | Director, National Engineering Laboratory |
| 97 | 1982 | Victor John Osola/Vaino Junani Osola | Process engineer, safety glass |
| 98 | 1983 | George Fritz Werner Adler | Research Director, British Hydromechanical Research Association |
| 99 | 1984 | Waheeb Rizk | Gas turbines at General Electric Company |
| 100 | 1985 | Philip Foreman | Aerospace engineer |
| 101 | 1986 | Bernard Crossland | Prof. Mechanical Engineering, Queen's University Belfast |
| 102 | 1987 | Oscar Roith | Chief Engineer, Department of Industry |
| 103 | 1988 | Cecil Charles John French | Internal combustion engines |
| 104 | 1989 | Roy Ernest James Roberts | Director, GKN |
| 105 | 1990 | Michael John Neale | Tribology |
| 106 | 1991 | Duncan Dowson | Prof of Fluid Mechanics, Leeds University, Tribology |
| 107 | 1992 | Thomas Diery Patten | Offshore engineering |
| 108 | 1993 | Anthony Albert Denton | Offshore engineering |
| 109 | 1994 | Brian Hamilton Kent | Design and engineering management |
| 110 | 1995 | Frank Christopher Price | Technical director |
| 111 | 1996 | Robert William Ernest Shannon | Inspection engineering |
| 112 | 1997 | Pamela Liversidge | Powder metallurgy |
| 113 | 1998 | John Spence | Metallurgy |
| 114 | 1999 | James McKnight | Automotive |
| 115 | 2000 | Denis E. Filer | Automotive |
| 116 | 2001 | Tony Roche | Railway |
| 117 | 2002 | John McDougall | MD of Atkins (company) |
| 117 | 2003 | Chris Taylor | Tribology |
| 119 | 2004 | William Edgar [16] | Offshore engineering |
| 120 | 2005 | Andrew Ives [17] | Automobile engine electronics |
| 121 | 2006 | W. Alec Osborn | Automotive |
| 122 | 2007 | John Baxter | Nuclear engineer |
| 123 | 2008 | William M. Banks | Composite materials. Professor, University of Strathclyde |
| 124 | 2009 | Keith Millard | Marine |
| 125 | 2010 | John Wood [18] | Automotive |
| 126 | 2011 | Roderick Smith [19] | Rail engineer. Chief Scientific Adviser, Department for Transport 2012 - 2014. [20] |
| 127 | 2012 | Isobel Pollock [21] | Engineering management |
| 128 | 2013 | Patrick Kniveton [22] | Nuclear Engineering - Rolls-Royce |
| 129 | 2014 | Group Captain Mark Hunt | RAF Engineer Officer, Engineering Management, Engineering Education |
| 130 | 2015 | Professor Richard Folkson | Chief Engineer of Ford of Europe, lecturer at University of Hertfordshire |
| 131 | 2016 | Jon Hilton | Kinetic energy recovery system pioneer, Deputy Chairman of Torotrak PLC |
| 132 | 2017 | Carolyn Griffiths | Head of Rail Accident Investigation Branch |
| 133 | 2018† | Geoff Baker | Oil and Gas |
| 116 | 2018† | Tony Roche (Second term) | Railway |
| 134 | 2019 | Joseph McGeough | Manufacturing |
| 135 | 2020 | Terry Spall | Automotive Engineer |
| 136 | 2021 | Peter Flinn | Manufacturing |
| 137 | 2022 | Philip Peel | Power Generation [23] |
| 138 | 2023 | Giles Hartill | Technology |
| 139 | 2024 | Clive Hickman OBE | Manufacturing |
| 140 | 2025 | Matt Garside | Defence |
† Baker resigned in June 2018. [24] The Institution's by-laws stipulate that a casual vacancy for President must be filled by appointing a Past President. Tony Roche was subsequently elected and assumed office for a second term in August of that year. [25]
Engineering Committees
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers orchestrates a network of committees, each dedicated to fostering thought leadership across various industry sectors. It’s divided into eight divisions: Aerospace, Automobile, Biomedical Engineering Association, Construction & Building Services, Manufacturing Industries, Power Industries, Process Industries, and Railway.
The Biomedical Engineering Association (BmEA) serves as a nexus, bringing together key figures from both medicine and engineering. Their aim is to dissect the latest advancements and challenges, facilitate networking among industry leaders, and champion the field of Medical Engineering – also known as Bioengineering or Biomedical Engineering – to governmental bodies, healthcare professionals, and the general public. This committee orchestrates:
- Seminars, lectures, and conferences throughout the year.
- The Journal of Engineering in Medicine, a publication for those who care about such things. [27]
- An annual Student Project Competition, presumably to identify the next generation of… well, mechanical engineers.
The Railway Division was established in 1969, a consequence of the amalgamation between the Institution of Locomotive Engineers and the IMechE. [28] A merger of sorts.
Arms
Coat of arms of Institution of Mechanical Engineers
- Crest: On a wreath of the colours, upon a terrestrial globe, a grey horse rampant, proper, gorged with a coronet composed of four fleurs-de-lys, with chain reflexed over the back, Or.
- Escutcheon: Sable, between the points of a pair of calipers inverted, Or, a plate.
- Supporters: On the dexter side, a figure representing Archimedes holding in his exterior hand a pointer; and on the sinister side, a figure representing Vulcan resting his exterior hand upon a sledge hammer, Proper.
- Motto: Progress [29]
See also
- Engineering
- James Watt International Medal
- Chartered Engineer
- Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
Footnotes
- [a] Pullin 1997, p. 2 quotes a leaflet from the opening of Birdcage Walk in 1899.