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IN MEMORIAM (From Composite Structures, 2008,
doi:10.1016/j.compstruct.2008.12.001)
Professor Ian Marshall BSc PhD Ceng FIMechE FIEE FIM FRSA, who passed away peacefully on Nov 20th 2008, was a distinguished academic in the field of composite structures for over 30 years most notably as founder and Editor of a journal by the same name published by Elsevier. ‘‘Composite Structures”, first published in 1983, rose to become the fourth most prominent globally in its subject area and will inexorably be linked with the drive and vision of Professor Marshall and its close association with a biennial conference, International Conference on Composite Structures (ICCS), in the same field also originated and chaired by him. An additional conference, Brittle Matrix Composite Materials, he co-chaired in Poland for over 20 years, further attested to his standing and thirst for engagement with the international academic community.
Professor Marshall was a committed family man whose grounded and charismatic nature permeated both his highly acclaimed academic achievements and relationship with all those who knew him professionally and personally. He was an active participant in various community organisations in his local town, giving many hours of voluntary help. Outside the twin legacies of journal and conference, which continue to thrive and grow, he led departments at institutions in Scotland and Australia, retiring last year as the Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at one of Australia’s largest Universities, Monash in Melbourne.
From ordinary beginnings in Kilbirnie in North Ayrshire, he negotiated failing the 11+ by putting himself through night school, college and eventually through all levels of Strathclyde University culminating in doctorate and professorship honours. His consultancy work included lengthy service to the US armed services and in the former Soviet Union as one of the first engineers invited into the country immediately post-glasnost.
The author of over 20 books, his contributions to the understanding of composite materials in diverse areas, most notably in aircraft design and structural integrity, greatly advanced the global knowledge of these materials and marked him out as a thoroughly practical academic in all senses of the word.
A freeman of the City of Glasgow (in recognition of his social standing and academic prominence) and Who’s Who entrant, he returned to Scotland following retirement in 2008, in tune with his ‘‘local boy” mentality even after a life of much globe-trotting and eminence.
Professor Marshall’s qualities were perhaps best illustrated by his numerous after dinner speeches at his own and other international conferences, where he held court not only on accord of his intellectual capacities but more readily because of his easy raconteurship, sense of humour and command of entertaining an audience.
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