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| Hugh Tett [CFT #6195] Born: 1906 Died: 2001 |
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| SIR HUGH TETT who has died aged 94, oversaw the development of Esso Petroleum as one of Britain's largest fuel supply companies; during the Second World War, he was involved in vital scientific work with the United States to provide high octane fuels for fighter aircraft. Esso, formerly known as Anglo-American Oil, was the British arm of Standard Oil of New Jersey. Tett was successively its head of research from 1947, sales manager from 1949, managing director from 1956 and chairman from 1959 to 1967 - a period of huge changes in the supply and use of petroleum fuels. Until the late 1940s Britain relied heavily on imported oil from the United States and the Caribbean, paid for in dollars. But in 1949 Esso embarked on building the Fawley refinery, Hampshire, to receive unrefined oil from the Middle East, which could be paid for in sterling. Fawley became the sixth largest refinery in the world. It was followed by another Esso facility at Milford Haven, and a fleet of giant tankers was commissioned from British shipyards to keep the plants supplied. During the Second World War Tett sat on several Government committees responsible for securing fuel supplies, and took part in Ministry of Aircraft Production missions to the United States. In this capacity he was instrumental in persuading his Standard Oil colleagues to supply a 100-octane fuel which gave Hurricane and Spitfire fighter pilots a crucial edge of speed over Messerschmitts during the Battle of Britain. During the 1960s he was a member of the advisory council of the Ministry of Technology, chairman of the economic development committee (or "Little Neddy") for the Motor Manufacturing Industry, and deputy chairman of the committee of inquiry into Civil Air Transport whose 1967 report led to the amalgamation of British European Airways and BOAC to form British Airways. Tett who was knighted in 1966 maintained a lifelong concern for scientific education. He was pro-chancellor of the University of Southampton from 1967 to 1979 and a fellow of Imperial College. Since 1964 he has been a member of thr Ministry of Technology's Advisory Council, a member of the Council of the Manchester Business School and a member of the Governing Body of the London Graduate School of Business Studies. He kept fit and alert in old age by swimming, making things and solving mathematical puzzles. Abridged from The Daily Telegraph 12th February 2001. |
1: 1948 Katherine Tettc 2: 1951 Carol Joyce Tettc | |||||||||||||
| 2 Children | ||||||||||||||
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