David Pye

Sir David Randall Pye CB FRS (29 April 1886 – 20 February 1960) was a British mechanical engineer and academic administrator. He served as Provost of University College London from 1942 to 1951. Biography Pye was born in Hampstead, London, England. He was educated at Tonbridge School, a private school in Kent. He studied the mechanical sciences tripos at Trinity College, Cambridge, graduating with a third class honours Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1908. In 1909, he joined the Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford as a lecturer: he had been invited to Oxford by C. F. Jenkin, the newly appointed Professor of Engineering Science. He was elected a Fellow of New College, Oxford in 1911. On 13 February 1912, he was commissioned into the Oxford University Officers' Training Corps as a second lieutenant. From 1915 to 1916, he taught at Winchester College, an all-boys boarding school in Hampshire. From 1916 to 1919, he undertook service during the First World War in the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force. After training, he was appointed an equipment officer 3rd class. He was promoted to temporary lieutenant on 13 October 1917, and to temporary captain on 6 April 1918. On 26 March 1918, he was appointed an experimental officer 1st class. He was demobilised on 1 April 1919.