Cecil William Dannatt died at his home in Blackheath, London, on 9th April, 1961, at the age of 68.
After receiving his education at Colfe’s Grammar School he trained at the Royal School of Mines between 1910 and 1914, gaining the Associateship in metallurgy and Diploma of Imperial College. He joined the Queen’s Westminster Rifles on the outbreak of war, was commissioned in 1915, and served in France, Salonika and Palestine.
On demobilization in 1918 he joined the Ministry of the Interior, Cairo, as assistant director of the Technical Section, Public Security Department. Two years later he was appointed assistant geologist with Naparima Oilfields of Trinidad, Ltd., remaining there until 1922.
It was in the following year that Professor Dannatt began his long association with the Royal School of Mines. From 1923 to 1925 he was demonstrator in assaying; from 1925 to 1937, lecturer; and from 1937 to 1945, University of London Reader in metallurgy and Assistant Professor. Appointed Acting Head of the Department in 1940, he became Professor of Metallurgy in 1945 and held this position until his retirement in 1957. Shortly afterwards the title of Professor Emeritus of Metallurgy was conferred on him by the University of London and in 1960 he was elected a Fellow of Imperial College.
Professor Dannatt was President of the Institution for the Session 1956-57. He had joined the Institution as a Student in 1911, was transferred to Associate Membership in 1922 and to full Membership in 1946. He served continuously as a Member of Council from 1947 until his death, holding the office of Vice-President for the three sessions 1951-54. His Presidential Address, ‘The study of technology as a branch of education’, was published in the Transactions (vol. 65, 1955-56), and be made other contributions to technical literature. He was Chairman of the first Symposium on Mineral Dressing held in 1952 by the Institution, and was a representative on other bodies on many occasions, particularly on the Board of Metallurgical Studies and Examinations.
He was an active member of many other institutions, being Vice-President of the Institution of Metallurgists from 1953 to 1957, member of the Institute of Metals, Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chemistry and a member also of the governing bodies of the Sir John Cass College, the Woolwich Polytechnic and committee member of the City and Guilds of London Institute.
Mr. W.A.C. Newman writes: The passing of Professor Dannatt is a great loss to metallurgical education in this country and it is a matter for great regret that his years after retirement from the Chair of Metallurgy at the Royal School of Mines were so few that he had little opportunity of exercising his charm, wisdom and advisory capacity as an elder statesman.
Although his special concern was to follow the traditions of teaching extraction metallurgy which had been built up in the School over nearly a century, so that a steady flow of well-grounded graduates could be maintained for the centres in which they would be most useful, his other interests were very wide too. His appreciation of advances taking place in every metallurgical field enabled him to offer wise counsel to all his students and his gracious manner prompted and encouraged them to seek his advice in all their problems.
Outside the sphere of teaching he was sought by many bodies to sit on committees or act as examiner — the technical and professional institutions, the City and Guilds of London Institute, the Polytechnics, of two of which he was a Governor. His report as Chairman of the Joint Education Committee of the principal societies interested in unravelling the difficulties met in co-ordinating their schemes and the subsequent recognition in the award of degrees and diplomas, was a masterpiece of detail and suggestion. One of his great disappointments was that it was not fully implemented.
Professor Dannatt had very many friends. His kindliness in all circumstances was endearing, and those who worked with him, as well as those who knew him in a private capacity, were always impressed by his strength, his awareness of the other point of view, his approachability, his thoroughness and his integrity.
Vol. 71, Trans IMM 1961-62, pp.42-43
