John Kenneth Aykroyd
John Kenneth Aykroyd (1885-1934)
1934 Obituary [1]
JOHN KENNETH AYKROYD was engaged for a number of years before the War in the design and construction of special laboratory apparatus both at University College, London, and at the East London College.
He was born at Bradford in 1885, and educated privately and in Germany.
In 1903 he entered University College, London, where he studied engineering until 1907, after which he assisted Professor J. D. Cormack, M.I.Mech.E., in the mechanical engineering laboratories.
He held this post until 1909 when he joined Messrs. Thomas Evans and Son, of Poplar, and took charge of the testing of pumps.
In 1910 he returned to University College and joined the physics department, where he was engaged for some years on the design and construction of apparatus for the investigation of the Joule-Thomson effect. In addition he assisted in the design of equipment for the aerodynamical laboratory of East London College, including a whirling table and propeller-testing apparatus.
He was elected a Graduate of the Institution in 1904. He served on the Committee of the Graduates' Association from 1905 to 1908, and was elected chairman for 1911-12. In the following year he was transferred to Associate Membership. He joined the mechanical transport section of the R.A.S.C. in 1914 and was invalided home in 1915, after which continued ill-health prevented him from following engineering as a profession. He served on the Committee of Management of the Benevolent Fund of the Institution from 1924 to 1930 and under the terms of his will he bequeathed the sum of £1,000 to the Fund.
His death occurred on 26th April 1934.