Joseph Whitworth

Engineer, entrepreneur, inventor, philanthropist and IMechE President. He is perhaps best known for devising the British Standard Whitworth system, which created an accepted standard for screw threads which was used from 1841-c1980. Whitworth also created the Whitworth rifle, often called the "sharpshooter" because of its accuracy and considered one of the earliest examples of a sniper rifle.

At his death in 1887, he bequeathed much of his fortune for the people of Manchester. Other funds were left to the IMechE and these continue to support young engineers via the Whitworth Scholarship program.