William George Leonard Hall, 2nd Viscount Hall (9 March 1913 – 24 July 1985), was a Welsh surgeon and businessman who was the first chairman of the

Post Office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...

. He was the son of George Hall, a mineworker who became a Labour Party member of parliament and cabinet minister. Hall won a scholarship to

Christ College, Brecon Christ College, Brecon, is a co-educational, boarding and day independent school, located in the cathedral and market town of Brecon in mid-Wales. It currently caters for pupils aged 4–18 years. History Christ College was founded by Roya ...

, but left school to become a miner at the age of 15. He subsequently joined the Merchant Navy. He soon re-entered education, receiving medical training at

University College Hospital University College Hospital (UCH) is a teaching hospital in the Fitzrovia area of the London Borough of Camden, England. The hospital, which was founded as the North London Hospital in 1834, is closely associated with University College Lo ...

and becoming a

Member of the Royal College of Surgeons Membership of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons (MRCS) is a postgraduate diploma for surgeons in the UK and Ireland. Obtaining this qualification allows a doctor to become a member of one of the four surgical colleges in the UK and Ireland, namely ...

and

Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians The Royal College of Physicians of London, commonly referred to simply as the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), is a British professional membership body dedicated to improving the practice of medicine, chiefly through the accreditation of p ...

. In 1938 he was appointed assistant medical officer for

Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil () is the main town in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales, administered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It is about north of Cardiff. Often called just Merthyr, it is said to be named after Tydfil, daughter of K ...

. He gave up the post in 1940, during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, becoming a Surgeon Lieutenant-Commander in the

Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve The Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) is one of the two volunteer reserve forces of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. Together with the Royal Marines Reserve, they form the Maritime Reserve. The present RNR was formed by merging the original ...

. In 1946 he returned to civilian life, as a medical officer for the Powell Duffryn Group, a South Wales-based operator of coalmines (until 1947) and seaports. He quickly moved from a medical position to become a director. He later held a post as director of investments for Africa, Asia and the Middle East for the

International Finance Corporation The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is an international financial institution headquartered in Washington, D.C. and a member of the World Bank Group that offers investment, advisory, and asset-management services to encourage private ...

. His father was created Viscount Hall of

Cynon Valley Cynon Valley () is a former coal mining valley in Wales. It lies between Rhondda and the Merthyr Valley and takes its name from the River Cynon. Aberdare is located in the north of the valley and Mountain Ash in the south. From 1974 to 19 ...

in 1946, and he inherited the title in 1965. In 1969 he was appointed the first chairman of the

, a new statutory corporation that took over the duties of the

General Post Office The General Post Office (GPO) was the state postal system and telecommunications carrier of the United Kingdom until 1969. Established in England in the 17th century, the GPO was a state monopoly covering the dispatch of items from a specific ...

. His tenure was to be short, however. He had been appointed by

John Stonehouse John Thomson Stonehouse (28 July 192514 April 1988) was a British Labour and Co-operative Party politician, businessman and minister who was a member of the Cabinet under Prime Minister Harold Wilson. He is remembered for his unsuccessful atte ...

, Post-Master General in the Labour Party government of

Harold Wilson James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx (11 March 1916 – 23 May 1995) was a British statesman and Labour Party (UK), Labour Party politician who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, from 1964 to 1970 and again from 197 ...

. When the Conservative Party won the 1970 general election,

Christopher Chataway Sir Christopher John Chataway (31 January 1931 – 19 January 2014) was a British middle- and long-distance runner, television news broadcaster and Conservative politician. Education Chataway was born in Chelsea, London, the son of James Deny ...

, the new Minister for Posts and Telecommunications, dismissed him from his post. The decision was controversial, with a number of sympathy strikes by postal unions causing disruption to postal services. Hall re-entered private business as a director in a number of companies and was also an active member of the

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

. He married three times: to Joan Margaret Griffiths (died 1962) in 1938, to Constance Anne Garthorne Hardy (died 1972) in 1963, and to Marie-Colette Bach in 1975. He had no male heirs, and the title became extinct on his death.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hall, William, 2nd Viscount 1913 births 1985 deaths Viscounts in the Peerage of the United Kingdom Chairmen of Post Office Limited World Bank Group people