South Yorkshire Times February 1, 1958

Presidency for a Bakers’Director

Robert C. Baker, A.Met., F.I.M., a Director of John Baker and Bessemer Limited has been elected President of the Sheffield Metallurgical Association in succession to Mr. P. Jubb, B.Sc., A.Met.

Among the committees in the steel industry on which he has served include the open hearth instruments subcommittee of the British Iron and Steel Research Association, 1947 to 1953, and that organisation steel practice committee from 1953 to 1956. He also served on the gas producer advisory and technical committee of the British Coal Utilization Research Association. In addition to his membership of the Sheffield Metallurgical Association, Mr. Baker is also a member of the Iron and Steel Institute, the Sheffield Society of Engineers and Metallurgists, and the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers.

At Sheffield University

Mr. Baker was educated at Sheffield University from 1933 to 1936, where he took metallurgy and received an Associateship in Ferrous Metallurgy in 1937.

After training in the research and Steelmaking departments of the English Steel Corporation, Mr Baker became assisting melting shop manager at the Kilnhurst works of John Baker and Bessemer in 1937.

In 1945 he became responsible for acid and basic steel production, maintenance of all steelmaking plant and ancillaries, plant development, and the chemical and metallurgical laboratories.

Mr Baker was appointed a director of John Baker and Bessemer, Kilnhurst steel Works and Brinsworth iron and steel works in 1951

“Twenty Years of Steelmaking in a Small Open Hearth Plant,” was the subject chosen by Mr. Baker for his Presidential address, when he described some of the troubles experienced in the operation of two 40 ton open hearth plants and pointed out some of the experiments and ultimate modifications to overcome these troubles. He also indicated the improvements in furnace control and operation that had been effected by instrumentation and automatic control of the gas producer plant, furnace pressure, roof temperature, and air to gas ratio