Thomas Williams Phillips
Encyclopedia
Sir Thomas Williams Phillips GBE
KCB
(20 April 1883 – 21 September 1966) was a senior official in the British Civil Service.
Phillips, a Welshman
, was educated at Machynlleth
County School and Jesus College, Oxford
, where he obtained a first-class Bachelor of Arts
degree in Literae Humaniores
. He joined the Civil Service in 1906, working initially in the field of copyright law. He was called to the bar by Gray's Inn
in 1913. He moved to the Ministry of Labour
in 1919, serving as Permanent Secretary
from 1935 to 1944. He then worked in the Ministry of National Insurance until 1948, becoming Chairman of the Central Land Board and of the War Damage Commission
in 1949. He held these positions until 1959. He was also Chairman of the National Joint Council for Local Authorities, Administrative, Professional. Technical and Clerical Services (1951–1963) and Chairman of the War Works Commission (1949–1964). He was awarded the CBE
in 1918, knighted with the award of the KBE
in 1934 and advanced to GBE
in 1946. He was also awarded the CB
in 1922 and advanced to KCB
in 1936. He was made an Honorary Fellow of Jesus College, Oxford in 1948, was made a Commander of the Belgian Order of the Crown
and was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Wales
in 1946. He died on 21 September 1966.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
KCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(20 April 1883 – 21 September 1966) was a senior official in the British Civil Service.
Phillips, a Welshman
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, was educated at Machynlleth
Machynlleth
Machynlleth is a market town in Powys, Wales. It is in the Dyfi Valley at the intersection of the A487 and the A489 roads.Machynlleth was the seat of Owain Glyndŵr's Welsh Parliament in 1404, and as such claims to be the "ancient capital of Wales". However, it has never held any official...
County School and Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...
, where he obtained a first-class Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in Literae Humaniores
Literae Humaniores
Literae Humaniores is the name given to an undergraduate course focused on Classics at Oxford and some other universities.The Latin name means literally "more humane letters", but is perhaps better rendered as "Advanced Studies", since humaniores has the sense of "more refined" or "more learned",...
. He joined the Civil Service in 1906, working initially in the field of copyright law. He was called to the bar by Gray's Inn
Gray's Inn
The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
in 1913. He moved to the Ministry of Labour
Ministry of Labour
The Ministry of Labour was a British civil service department established by the New Ministries and Secretaries Act 1916. It was renamed the Employment Department in 1988, and finally abolished in 1995...
in 1919, serving as Permanent Secretary
Permanent Secretary
The Permanent secretary, in most departments officially titled the permanent under-secretary of state , is the most senior civil servant of a British Government ministry, charged with running the department on a day-to-day basis...
from 1935 to 1944. He then worked in the Ministry of National Insurance until 1948, becoming Chairman of the Central Land Board and of the War Damage Commission
War Damage Commission
The War Damage Commission was a body set up by the British Government under the War Damage Act 1941 to pay compensation for war damage to land and buildings throughout the United Kingdom...
in 1949. He held these positions until 1959. He was also Chairman of the National Joint Council for Local Authorities, Administrative, Professional. Technical and Clerical Services (1951–1963) and Chairman of the War Works Commission (1949–1964). He was awarded the CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1918, knighted with the award of the KBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1934 and advanced to GBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1946. He was also awarded the CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
in 1922 and advanced to KCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
in 1936. He was made an Honorary Fellow of Jesus College, Oxford in 1948, was made a Commander of the Belgian Order of the Crown
Order of the Crown (Belgium)
The Order of the Crown is an Order of Belgium which was created on 15 October 1897 by King Leopold II in his capacity as ruler of the Congo Free State. The order was first intended to recognize heroic deeds and distinguished service achieved from service in the Congo Free State - many of which acts...
and was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Wales
University of Wales
The University of Wales was a confederal university founded in 1893. It had accredited institutions throughout Wales, and formerly accredited courses in Britain and abroad, with over 100,000 students, but in October 2011, after a number of scandals, it withdrew all accreditation, and it was...
in 1946. He died on 21 September 1966.