G. Peter Wilson , (Aug 1999)

G. Peter Wilson, M.Sc. P.Eng

Most of us knew Peter as the Head of the TUNS Industrial Engineering Department, a position that he filled for almost 20 years. For many people, Peter Wilson was synonymous with Industrial Engineering at the Technical University of Nova Scotia (TUNS).

Peter attended Kings College and earned his Engineering Diploma from Dalhousie University in 1960. He graduated from Nova Scotia Technical College in Mechanical Engineering in 1962. He was an outstanding athlete as well as a top student. He played both football and basketball in university. Upon graduation, he was awarded an Athlone Fellowship which enabled him to work and study in England. In 1964, he earned an M.Sc. in Engineering Production from the University of Birmingham.

After two years working as an Industrial Engineer at Canadian National Railways in Montreal, Peter returned to Nova Scotia as an Assistant Professor at N.S Tech. while working part time with Nova Scotia Voluntary Economic Planning. In 1971, Peter became Assistant Director of the Atlantic Industrial Research Institute (AIRI) and eventually took over as Director of AIRI in the mid 1970’s, a position he continued to hold until his passing. In 1974 he was promoted to Associate Professor and, in 1977, he became Head of the Industrial Engineering Department. He held this position until 1996.

Peter’s views that Industrial Engineers need both a sound theoretical grounding and a practical understanding of the needs of business played a major role in shaping the current Industrial Engineering program. The ability to do solid Industrial Engineering analysis and communicate the results of that analysis to the client organization was something he stressed to the approximately 600 students who graduated while he was Head.

Peter was well recognised within the Engineering profession. He was active with the Association of Professional Engineers of Nova Scotia and served on several Committees, including terms as Chairman of the APENS Finance Committee and Chairman of the APENS Public Relations Committee. He served on several accreditation teams for the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board. He was a long time member of the Engineering Institute of Canada, the Institute of Industrial Engineering (IIE) and the Canadian Operational Research Society. He helped found the Halifax branch of the American Institute of Industrial Engineers (now IIE).

Peter Wilson was active in business throughout his career at NS Tech/TUNS. This involved such businesses as Wilson Fuels, Kerr Controls, Ski Wentworth and Parrsboro Manufacturing. By 1996, the demands of these businesses were such that he needed to devote full time to them. In doing so, he has helped to create significant enterprises which provide much needed jobs to Nova Scotians. Peter practised what he preached. Several of the key employees of these businesses are graduates of the TUNS Industrial Engineering Department. Peter was one of the early people to recognize the role that computer information systems could play in small business. He taught these concepts to his students and implemented them in his businesses.

There was nothing conventional about Peter Wilson’s career as an academic. He was employed by AIRI, not TUNS, but he was Department Head for almost 20 years. He managed major businesses while performing his duties as Director of AIRI, as Department Head, as teacher and mentor to the students. He carried out a hectic schedule but always seemed to be available when students and faculty needed to talk to him. It is difficult to explain how he could do these things and do them so well. Certainly most people couldn’t. But then most people are not Peter Wilson. He will certainly be missed.