F. B. Cornelius was a distinguished engineer and manager at Stanton Ironworks Company, where he worked for 54 years before retiring at the end of March 1956. He was general manager of the company’s concrete pipe plant.

During World War II, he designed more than a million concrete railway sleepers to replace 40,000 tons of iron or steel sleepers. He also oversaw production of concrete rocket heads and ballistic torpedo heads. His researches into pre-stressed concrete culminated in the construction of a complete new plant which went into quantity-production.

In 1940, he formed Stanton Home Guard, which was the county’s first. He later became superintendent of the company’s Stanton Ambulance Division and was made a Serving Brother of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.

He was president of Stanton-by-Dale British Legion, of which he was a founder-member, and chairman of Stanton Ironworks National Savings Committee since 1939.

In 1952, he addressed the Ilkeston Convention of Concrete Trade Manufacturers of America in Chicago on “Pre-cast Concrete Manufacturing.”

After retirement, he continued to reside at Hall Road, Stanton-by-Dale, and acted as consultant to his former employers. He was married with a son, Jack, who was a chartered accountant in Johannesburg, South Africa.

📜 Historical Records

Records mentioning F. B. Cornelius

• After Life's Work He Has Something Concrete to Show - F. B. Cornelius
  23 March 1956