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Hugh BeaverBritish engineer, industrialist and creator of the Guinness Book of Records
Date of Birth: 04.05.1890
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
Biography of Hugh Beaver
Early Life and EducationHugh Beaver was born in 1890 in Johannesburg, South Africa. As a child, his parents sent him to Wellington College, Berkshire, an English boarding school. Upon graduating, Beaver left England and worked for the Indian police for about two years starting in 1910.
Career
In 1921, Beaver returned to England and secured a position as an engineer at the company "Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners, Engineers." In 1931, the firm was tasked with evaluating the condition of major ports in Canada on behalf of the Canadian government. Beaver spent seven months in North America, observing the reconstruction of the fire-ravaged port in Saint John, the largest city in New Brunswick province. He became a partner at the firm from 1932 to 1942 and served as the director and controller at the Ministry of Labour from 1940 to 1945.
After World War II, Beaver participated in the reconstruction efforts in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries as an experienced engineer. He served on various committees and advisory boards and provided consultancy on legislative projects. From 1946 to 1947, he was a member of Lord Reith's committee on new towns. From 1948 to 1950, he was part of the Building Industry Working Party. From 1951 to 1960, he served as the director of the Colonial Development Corporation. In 1952 and 1953, Beaver led the committee on power station construction and addressed the Great Smog of 1952 in London. He also chaired the air pollution committee from 1953 to 1954, resulting in the Clean Air Act of 1956. Additionally, he had a keen interest in promoting science and its practical applications. From 1954 to 1956, he served as the chairman of the Advisory Council on Scientific and Industrial Research, and from 1958 to 1963, he was the chairman of the Industrial Fund for Education in Schools. Together with Sir Alan Wilson, he was the main sponsor of the creation of St Catherine's College, Oxford.
Guinness Book of Records
On November 10, 1951, Beaver, who was then the director of Guinness Brewery, attended a hunting party in North Slob, Ireland. A debate arose about which bird was the fastest in Europe, the golden plover or the grouse. However, there was no reference book available in the house to settle the argument. Beaver thought that many interesting discussions took place in the pubs of Ireland and Britain, but there was a lack of books that could provide answers. He believed that such a reference book would be useful and popular. This idea became a reality when Christopher Chataway, an employee of the brewery, recommended his university friends Norris and Ross McWhirter, who were running an information agency in London. They were tasked with compiling the reference book, which became the Guinness Book of Records in August 1954. By Christmas, the book became a bestseller and later replicated its success in other countries, becoming one of the most popular publications in the world.
Later Life and Legacy
In 1943, Beaver was knighted for his contribution to the reconstruction of Coventry. He received honorary doctorates from the University of Cambridge, Trinity College Dublin, the National University of Ireland, and became an honorary fellow of the London School of Economics in 1960. From 1959 to 1960, he served as the president of the Royal Statistical Society. Today, Hugh Beaver is primarily remembered as the creator of the Guinness Book of Records. He passed away from a heart attack at his London home in 1967.
