R. H. Gummer
R. H. Gummer (1884-1964)
1956 R. H. Gummer on The Institute of Fuel[1]
"Mr R. H. Gummer might, on his retirement, have rested from his labours. He has done nothing of the kind but thrown himself wholeheartedly into activities that always attracted his interest.
The Institute of Fuel is not the least of these. Elected its President for 1956 he has had a strenuous year of office. His Presidential Address, just to hand, must have cost him both time and trouble.
Thirty Years Advance in Steam Generation is his chosen topic. He is well qualified to deal with it for during these thirty years Mr Gummer was not merely in close touch with the industry but working towards the advances he now summarises.
Giving the historical background -especially emphasising the march of improvement in the manufacture of steel he gives recognition to the educational work carried on for several centuries by the City of London Liveries. It is amusing to look back on Albert Gay’s views about mechanical stokers [1903]—no economy; frequently out of order; “lower-grade coal is not worth burning and it smokes anyway!”
In their early days these ideas and inventions struggled for existence. “In 1925”, says Mr Gummer, “coincident with the reorganisation of the electrical supply industry on a countrywide rather than municipal basis, the bold step was taken of departing from tradition and developing a revolutionary type of steam-generating unit in which the principles involved in pulverized-fuel firing were given due weight as fundamental design features”....[cont]
1964 Obituary[2]
"We regret to record the death of Mr R. H. Gummer, M.I.Mar.E. Hon., M.Inst.F., on August 25th. Mr Gummer, who was eighty, was until recently a director of International Combustion (Holdings) Ltd. He had been associated with International Combustion since its formation, and was appointed a special director in 1937. In 1949 he became a full board member. He was a founder-member of the Institute of Fuel of which he was President in 1955, and honorary treasurer from 1945 until this year."