Hilary Bauerman died at his residence in London, on December 5th, 1909, aged 74.

At the age of 18 he entered “The Government School of Mines and of Science Applied to the Arts” (afterwards the Royal School of Mines), graduating in 1853. After a three years’ course at the Freiberg Mining Academy, Saxony, he began his professional career as Assistant Geologist on the Geological Survey of Great Britain.

In 1858 he was appointed Geologist to the North American Boundary Commission, which position he held for five years. From 1863 to 1883 he was employed on survey and exploration work in various parts of the American Continent, of Europe and of Asia; and in the latter year he was appointed Lecturer on Metallurgy at the Firth College, Sheffield. In 1888 he was appointed Professor of Metallurgy at the Royal Artillery College, Woolwich, a position he held for 18 years, resigning in 1906.

For many years Professor Bauerman was one of the Examiners to the Civil Service Commissioners and to the Science and Art Department. From 1851 to within a year of his death he acted as Juror on almost all the great International Exhibitions, and his wide knowledge and experience were in frequent demand by public authorities, both at home and abroad, to whom his advice and assistance were always ungrudingly given.

Professor Bauerman’s distinguished services to engineering science and his many contributions to scientific literature were recognised by several engineering societies. The Institution of Civil Engineers awarded to him in 1897 the Howard Quinquennial Prize in recognition of his work on the metallurgy of iron; he was elected an Honorary Member of the Iron and Steel Institute in 1904; and in 1906 the Gold Medal of the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy was awarded to him in recognition of his services in the advancement of metallurgical science.

Professor Bauerman was elected an Honorary Member of the Institution in 1900, and for several years he was an active member of the Council.

Vol. 19, Trans I.M.M. 1909-10, p. 602

Back to index page