Persoon

Mantle, John B.

Born in London in 1919, John Bertram Mantle came to Canada that same year. He attended Paynton Consolidated School in Paynton, Saskatchewan and City Park Collegiate in Saskatoon. From the University of Saskatchewan he earned a Bachelor of Engineering degree in 1941, majoring in Mechanical Engineering. After working for a year with the Canadian General Electric Co. in Peterborough and Toronto, Ontario, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force, trained in Lachine, Quebec and at the Aeronautical Engineering School in Montreal, and served at the Flying Service Training School in Moncton, New Brunswick and at Air Force Headquarters in Ottawa. Following the war, in the fall of 1945, Mantle took up a position as Instructor in Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan. While teaching he earned a M.Sc. in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics from the University of Illinois at Urbana in 1947. His major area of research was photoelasticity. In 1948 he was promoted to assistant professor, and in 1956 to full professor, and assumed the position of Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering in 1958. In 1967 he transferred to Regina Campus to serve as first Dean of the new Faculty of Engineering, a post he held until 1979. He was instrumental in developing Engineering programs and in introducing the innovative concept of co-operative education. John Mantle was active in professional engineering organizations and was made a Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada in 1970. In recognition of his achievements in engineering education, research and leadership the Association of Professional Engineers of Saskatchewan presented him with its first Distinguished Service Award in 1979. He was made a life member of both these groups, as well as the Association of Professional Engineers of British Columbia and the American Society for Engineering Education. Professor Mantle retired from the University of Regina in 1983 and was named Professor Emeritus of Engineering. Besides his academic and professional activities, John Mantle was also active for several years in air force reserve work, beginning in 1948 when he assumed command of the University of Saskatchewan R.C.A.F. Cadets. John Mantle married Nina Dorothy Akchurst of Saskatoon on June 9, 1942 in Toronto. They have two sons, Brian John (1945) and Gregory Lionel (1950). Since his retirement Professor and Mrs. Mantle have resided in Creston, British Columbia.