John Taylor Ewen (c1862-1942)
1943 Obituary [1]
JOHN TAYLOR EWEN, 0.B.E., was educated at Forfar Academy and Edinburgh University, where he graduated B.Sc. Eng. After serving his apprenticeship with Messrs. Robertson and Orchar, engineers, Wallace Foundry, Dundee, he joined the staff of Sir William Arrol in 1884 and was engaged on the building of the Forth Bridge, with responsibility for the erection of the riveting machinery. Subsequently he became engineer to the Edinburgh Sanitary Protection Association.
Later, he was appointed to take charge of ,the research committees of the Institution, of which he was a member for nearly fifty years, having been elected an Associate Member in 1894 and transferred to Membership in 1896. In 1898, however, he abandoned the career of a mechanical engineer and accepted an appointment as Inspector of Schools under the Scottish Education Department. Two years later he became H.M. Inspector of Schools for the Northern Division and in 1920 he transferred to a similar position in the Western Division, which he continued to hold until his retirement in 1928.
For the next ten years he served as a member of the Joint Committee of the Institution and the Scottish Education Department for the award of National Certificates and Diplomas in Mechanical Engineering, in which capacity he rendered valuable services to the Institution and to higher education generally. During his career as Inspector of Schools Mr. Ewen effected many improvements in the teaching of science and drawing.
In the war of 1914-18 he was secretary of the Board of Management of the N.E. of Scotland Munitions Committee. His death occurred at Pitscandly, Forfar on 15th December 1942 in his eightieth year.