John Maxwell Scott-Maxwell
John Maxwell Scott-Maxwell (1880-1951)
1951 Obituary.[1]
John Maxwell Scott-Maxwell, B.Sc, who died on the 25th September, 1951, at Baillieston, Lanarkshire, was born at Kelvinside, Glasgow, on the 10th October, 1880. He received his engineering education at Glasgow University, where he graduated in electrical engineering in 1904. He then went to America and worked for about two years with the General Electric Co., Schenectady. After this he decided to form a company in Glasgow, and as a result of further visits to America, Electric Control, Ltd., was formed in 1908. This company began by manufacturing a.c. and d.c. automatic solenoid starters and controllers under licence agreement. Later, other patent rights were secured, notably for the manufacture of the carbon-tetra-chloride fuse, which was ultimately incorporated in high-voltage pole-type switchgear for rural distribution lines. Other products were developed under the company's own patents for lift controllers, a.c. and d.c. magnetic brakes, hand controllers and limit-switch mechanisms. Many controllers were made for air compressors, steel mills in Britain and France, automatic substations, paper-making machinery all over the world and large pumps for docks and other duties. Some of these pump controllers were the first made in this country with air-break contactors on 2,000-volt circuits.
In many of these products the company were undoubtedly pioneers in Great Britain, so that the development of the business through the war period of 1914-18, and in competition with larger companies, was extremely difficult. Nevertheless, the company grew rapidly until by 1920 it was able to take its place with other well-known English companies in a merger under the name of British Switchgear, Ltd. Owing to differences of opinion and personalities, however, the new company finally split up and each component went its own way. But Electric Control, Ltd., never really got through its growing pains, and its very success on the technical side continued to run it into financial troubles. The people who were backing the company lost faith in the switchgear market during the depression of the early '20's and finally the company was taken over by an English concern who ultimately closed the factory and took the business out of Scotland. Mr. Scott-Maxwell remained with Electric Control, Ltd., until 1927, and shortly after retired from active participation in electrical engineering.
Throughout his life he had a strong conviction of what was right and strove for it and was often perhaps too outspoken for those who lacked his foresight and pioneering spirit. In the end his ever-fertile mind turned to more intellectual pursuits. During his last 20 years he devoted a great deal of time and study to the writing of a vast survey of modern knowledge. From this he sought to find evidence of a theistical and teleological purpose behind the creation of the universe, man and human consciousness, which to him was the only true basis on which evolution could be understood. He leaves this very ambitious work, which he sub-titled "Consciousness Alone Evolves," unfinished and unpublished.
He joined The Institution as an Associate Member in 1908 and was elected a Member in 1914. He was also a Member of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers and a Fellow of the Institute of Cost and Works Accountants. He wrote a book entitled "Costing and Price Fixing" in 1930 which is still used as a reference book. He showed an early interest in scientific management, which, originating in this country, was taken up and developed by Taylor in America. He read a paper on this subject before The Institution in 1920 which aroused much comment and for which he was awarded a premium. He served on the Committee of the Scottish Centre for various periods between 1918 and 1930.