Collection search - Tupper, J.F. - Interview

Record information – Brief

1

Tupper, J.F. - Interview

Item number (ISN):

440088

Series title:

[National Research Council Oral History Project]

Hierarchical level:

Item (Accession level)

Date:

1975-08-28

Item number (ISN):

440088

Type of material:

Sound recordings

Found in:

Archives / Film, Video and Sound

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Record information – Details

Fonds/collection:

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF CANADA / CONSEIL NATIONAL DE RECHERCHES DU CANADA

Accession:

1975-0157

Media:

Sound

Part:

1 of 1

Production date:

1975-08-28

Release date:

1975-08-28

Production company:

National Research Council

Production credit:

interviewer, Don Phillipson

Description:

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Interview of Kenneth Franklin Tupper by Donald Phillipson. Subjects discussed include: postwar government resolved to sell turbo research; A.R. Roe took over turbo research and flourished until 1957 at the end of an era when the Government fell; Tupper took change of small engine design; DIL built CRNL; Dr. J. Cockcroft; DIL contracted for CRNL since experienced in explosives plants; in 1949 Tupper resigned from NRC (CRNL); F.C. Wallace; Sidney Smith; Tupper ultimately partner in thermal power plant consultancy seeking to develop Canadian market; Tupper's aim was to apply science to building something visibly useful; major grants available from NRC or DRB for unoccupied but good territory such as computers (1949-1954) - IMB mechanical, built own electrical tube computer with DRB grant, DATAR (Ferranti Canada Ltd.) secret project; Arthur Porter; University of Toronto bought first off-shelf big computer from Ferranti; J.H. Parkin; Tommy Loudon; Anderson; Scotty Bruce; Jack White; Stuart Wilson; disposal of REL via Crown Assets and sanctioned sales without much regard to book value of plant; Polymer Corporation should not be Crown; REL disposal short term gains for employment and long term losses for technological capacity; high tech industry involves large research and development costs and so the size of domestic market limits scale for each country except for one-off types or with government purchasing policy; CANDU reactor has much US content and Canada chose not to develop steam turbines that are required in all thermal plants; Canada is unique in foreign ownership of nearly all high technology; Tupper always had to import high technology goods; basic element is size of market in relation to pre-production costs but some countries have overcome this; Tupper left NRC for University of Toronto in 1949; in 1954 went to private engineering consultancy; and in 1964 returned to NRC as Vice-President of Science - all applied and engineering research divisions; Dr. Leo Marion; industrial research assistance grants; Tupper's first assignment was planning lab facilities including design of wind tunnel and model basin, later operating model basin; Dr. R. W. Boyle; two US firms dominated float fabrication and ships hulls tested at NRC; EDO Ltd and Fairchild Ltd.; boat designers dealt directly with NRC - Lambert, German and Milne Ltd.; Tupper was first hired draftsman drew trail inquiry graphs for F.E. Lathe; McNaughton; Tupper had close contact with E.W.R. Steacie from 1946-1954; Dr. R.W. Boyle; Dr. C.J. Mackenzie - Winnipeg Jet Engine Lab - gave staff unlimited discretion; NRC policy in 1930 was theoretically industrial research - bronze plaque in front hall of Sussex Drive building: ``…was constructed for the purposes of fostering the scientific development of Canadian industry for Canadian needs and for the extension and expansion of Canadian trade at home and abroad.``; industrial secrecy - patents, limited the government cooperation with industry and the nearest approach to success is the Ontario Research Foundation which allows exclusive rights to results; NRC Industrial Research Committee was chaired by Tupper after Dr. B.G. Ballard. <4h 38mn>

Language:

English

Notes:

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1. Subject description taken from partial transcript in binder, National Research Council Oral History Project, Index R-Z.~2. PAC tape 557; PAC tape 558, track 1 and 2.~3. Kenneth Franklin Tupper (1905-?) was an aeronautical engineers known for his work at the National Research Council of Canada, and was the fifth Dean of Engineering at the University of Toronto Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering. He served as Dean from 1949 to 1954, leaving the Faculty to pursue private parctice and later returning to the NRC as Vice-President (Scientific). (Skulepedia)

Detailed holdings information:

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Vault ISN:

674826

Format:

SOUND

Location number:

C00557

Vault code:

GAT

Number of items:

1

Kind of sound:

R/R

Technical description:

POLY

Made from:

FROM LOANED MATERIAL

Status:

MASTER

Vault ISN:

674828

Format:

SOUND

Location number:

C00558

Vault code:

GAT

Number of items:

1

Kind of sound:

R/R

Technical description:

POLY

Made from:

FROM LOANED MATERIAL

Status:

MASTER
Ordering and viewing options

Conditions of access:

Open

GENCAT identity number:

GAD 0FD645

Restrictions on consultation:

open

Copyright status:

Under copyright.

Reproduction access:

With written permission of copyright owner : No donor restrictions. Copyright belongs to the Crown. Credit Library and Archives Canada.

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