Percy Herbert Mills, 1st Viscount Mills, (4 January 1890 – 10 September 1968), known as Sir Percy Mills, Bt, between 1953 and 1957 and as The Lord Mills between 1957 and 1962, was a British industrialist, public servant and politician.

Background and education

Mills was born at

Thornaby Thornaby-on-Tees, commonly referred to as Thornaby, is a town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish on the River Tees's southern bank. It is in the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees, North Yorkshire, England. The parish had a population of 24,74 ...

and educated at

Barnard Castle School ''When you are steeped in little things, you shall safely attempt great things.'' , established = 1883 , type = Public schoolIndependent day and boarding school , religious_affiliation = Inter-denominational with a non-conformist Christian ...

.Halsbury, ‘Mills, Percy Herbert, first Viscount Mills (1890–1968)’, rev. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 200
accessed 26 May 2011
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Career

During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

Mills served as Controller-General of Machine Tools at the Ministry of Supply from 1940 to 1944. He earned Harold Macmillan's absolute confidence and was described by the ''

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

'' as "one of the most politically influential industrialists of his time." He was knighted in the

1942 New Year Honours The 1942 New Year Honours were appointments by King George VI to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of the United Kingdom and British Empire. They were announced on 30 December 1941.United Kingdom and Britis ...

, and was appointed to the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

as a Knight Commander (KBE) in the 1946 Birthday Honours. He was created as a Baronet, of Alcester in the County of Warwick, in 1952 and was raised to the peerage as Baron Mills, of Studley, Warwickshire, Studley in the County of Warwick, in January 1957. The same month newly appointed Prime Minister Macmillan made Mills Ministry of Power (United Kingdom), Minister of Power, with a seat in the cabinet. He was sworn of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, Privy Council at the same time. In October 1959 he became Paymaster-General, which he remained until October 1961, when he was made Minister without portfolio (United Kingdom), Minister without Portfolio. Following his departure from the Cabinet after the "Night of the Long Knives (1962), Night of the Long Knives" he was made Viscount Mills, of Kensington in the County of London, in 1962.

Personal life

Lord Mills died in September 1968, aged 78, and was succeeded in the viscountcy by his son, Roger.

References

External links

* , - 1890 births 1968 deaths Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Knights Bachelor Conservative Party (UK) hereditary peers Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire People educated at Barnard Castle School Ministers in the Macmillan and Douglas-Home governments, 1957–1964 Hereditary barons created by Elizabeth II {{UK-viscount-stub