Beveridge, William Henry (1879-1963)

British economist. A civil servant, he acted as Lloyd George's lieutenant in the social legislation of the Liberal government before World War I. His Report on Social Insurance and Allied Services (1942), known as the Beveridge Report, formed the basis of the welfare state in Britain.

Beveridge was born in Rangpur, Bengal, and was educated at Charterhouse and Oxford University. He was leader writer on the Morning Post before entering the Board of Trade in 1908 and was director of labour exchanges from 1909 to 1916. From 1919 to 1937 he was director of the London School of Economics. He became a Liberal MP in 1944 but was defeated in 1945. He was created a baron in 1946.