Dr Paul Werner Seewer (c1885-1969)
Born in Switzerland
1901-19 Piccard, Pictet and Co, Geneva
1920 Joined English Electric Co
1927 Description and illustrations of Seewer governor gear for Pelton wheels, produced by English Electric. 'This governor has been fitted by the above-mentioned firm to a number of large turbines, including one of 3,300 h.p., erected at Kinlochleven, another of 15,000 h.p. structed for the Khopoli Power Station of the Tata Hydro-Electric Power Company, and five others, each of 30,000 h.p. for the same Company’s Bhira station. Two of these have recently been put into commercial service and the remaining three are now in course of erection.'[1]. See illustration.
1969 Obituary [2]
Dr P. W. Seewer, DE (Fellow), formerly Manager and Chief Engineer of English Electric's Water Turbine Department, died recently at the age of 84.
Born and educated at Switzerland, Dr Seewer joined English Electric in 1919 and was the mainstay of the Water Turbine Department until 1950 when he 'retired' to eight years of full-time consultancy. His gifts as a creative engineer and salesman lifted him into the same class as the great entrepreneurs of the 19th century. He could gauge what the client wanted and present his solutions the following day, no matter what the hour or where the meeting took place. A thriving export business, which placed Britain among the world's leaders, was the result of his brilliant work. To many of us it all felt rather like having a tiger by the tail—if you could hang on, your progress was bound to be rapid.
His individual use of English, like the royal command, "I wish to bespeak you," added colour to an already rich character. I owe him the unshakeable knowledge that the creative engineer is the foundation of industry; I am grateful to have known and worked with him and, with many other friends and colleagues, mourn his death.