[4] Dowson was educated at Lady Lumley's Grammar School in Pickering and then read Mechanical Engineering at the University of Leeds, from which he received the degrees of BSc, PhD and DSc.

[5] After completing his PhD in 1952, Dowson worked as a research engineer at Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft Company.

[8] In 1974, he received the International Award from the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers.

[11] Dowson was Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Leeds from 1987 to 1992 and director of the Institute of Tribology there from 1967 to 1986.

[16] He was made a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1989.