Haley, William John (1901–1987)

English journalist. He was director-general of the BBC 1944–52, editor of The Times 1952–66, and editor-in-chief of the Encyclopaedia Britannica 1968–69.

He was born in Jersey, and educated at Victoria College there. In 1922 he joined the Manchester Evening News as a reporter. By 1930 he was its managing director. Later he was director of the Press Association and Reuters 1939–43. He was knighted in 1946.