Background
Hankins was born 18 October 1930 in Crewe, Cheshire and at the age of 16 began an apprenticeship with the London Midland and Scottish Railway.
Hankins was born 18 October 1930 in Crewe, Cheshire and at the age of 16 began an apprenticeship with the London Midland and Scottish Railway.
He continued to study with evening classes at Manchester Municipal College of Technology, gaining a first class honours degree in 1955. In 1955 he joined Metropolitan-Vickers rising to the position of assistant chief engineer, doing research into communication systems The company changed into Associated Electrical Industries and he led a team developing communication systems for rockets including Blue Streak.
In 1968 he joined University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology as a lecturer, completing a Doctor of Philosophy by part-time study and becoming Professor of Communication Engineering in 1974 and Head of Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics in 1977.
In 1979 he became Vice-Principal of University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, Acting Principal in 1982 and Principal in 1984. At this time University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology was technically a faculty of the Victoria University of Manchester which awarded the degrees.
In 1992 University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology became a separate university in its own right, and Hankins was its first Vice-Chancellor until his retirement in 1995. He is commemorated in the Harold Hankins Building housing the Manchester Institute of Innovation Research.
In 1993 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and in 1996 he was awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire for "services to education".