Arthur Primrose Young (1885-1977) was associated throughout his working life with British Thomson-Houston, the electrical equipment manufacturers of Coventry and Rugby, from which concern he retired as Works Manager in 1945. During his career he was works manager at British Thomson-Houston, Coventry 1921-8, and at British Thomson-Houston, Rugby, 1929-45. Outside the firm he played an important part in the professional development of works management. He was a Christian interested in industry, educational affairs and, briefly on the international scene, through his contacts with a conservative opponent to Hitler, Dr Carl Goerdeler.
Young wrote one unpublished and two published autobiographies and numerous articles and speeches which were the subject of media and research interest. He was a founder member of the British Works Management Association and lectured and wrote extensively on the application of Christian principles to industry. For his work in the development and production of the polar inductor magneto, which went into production in early 1917, Young received the O.B.E.
Reference: A.P. Young, Across the years (Charles Knight, 1971). A.P. Young, The X Documents (ed. S.Astor, Deutsch, 1974). R. A. Storey, entry on A.P. Young in the Dictionary of Business Biography (vol. 5, 1986). R. A. Storey, 'The Papers of A. P. Young'in Warwickshire History (vol. VII, no. 6.).
From the guide to the The papers of Arthur Primrose Young, 1885-1980s, (Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick Library)
