John Moyes Lessells
John Moyes Lessells ( -1961)
1961 Obituary [1]
John Moyes Lessells, who died in May this year, was educated at Queen Anne School and at Lauder Technical School, Dunfermline.
He was apprenticed to James Lessells and Co., Dunfermline, from 1902-1908. From 1912-15 he studied at Glasgow University, where he obtained a B.Sc. degree, and during his vacations he worked at various firms.
Mr Lessels then took a position as aeroengine inspector with A.I.D. for the period 1915-16 and then at Armstrong Whitworth and Co., Newcastle-upon-Tyne, from 1916-18. He joined Rolls-Royce Ltd, Derby, in 1918.
In 1920, Mr Lessells moved to Westinghouse Electrical and Manufacturing Co., U.S.A. He then founded the firm of Lessells and Associates, Inc., in 1934, holding the position of President. In addition he was appointed a lecturer in the Mechanical Engineering Department of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1936, later becoming Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering.
Mr Lessells was an Associate Member of the Institution of Automobile Engineers, and became an Associate Member of this Institution in 1916, transferring to Member in 1926. He was elected an Honorary Member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in 1952. He was a prominent member of the engineering profession in America and a good friend to this Institution.