Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1969-1977 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
36 files
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
William Ryland was appointed Chief Executive and one of two Deputy Chairmen of the new Post Office Corporation on its creation on 1 October 1969, the other Deputy Chairman being Whitney Willard Straight who remained as Deputy Chairman until 1974. Prior to this, from 1967 to 1969, Ryland had been the Managing Director of Telecommunications. The first Chairman of the Corporation was William Hall, 2nd Viscount Hall, who retained the position from 10 October 1969 until standing down in 1970. At this point, Ryland assumed the role of Acting Chairman before being confirmed as Chairman in 1971. He remained Chairman of the Post Office Corporation until 1977, at which point he was succeeded by Sir William Barlow. During his time as Chairman, Ryland also held the role of Chief Executive in addition to other titles.
Ryland assumed these posts at a particularly crucial and difficult time for the new Corporation. His period in office saw several major initiatives designed to reinvigorate the Post Office, such as attempts to introduce greater levels of mechanisation into the postal service. In 1974, the then government requested the production of a wide-ranging report into the possibilities of rationalising postal services and this led to a Select Committee on Nationalised Industries enquiry into the letter post in 1975. Ryland also oversaw the introduction of several new ancillary services, such as Expresspost, and an attempt to achieve a measure of industrial democracy. Perhaps the most significant event of his Chairmanship, though, was the national postal strike of 1971 when, for several weeks, virtually the entire postal service in Great Britain was closed down. Although the strike ended in a partial victory for the Post Office Corporation, Ryland realised that the Corporation would have to modernise to compete in the late twentieth Century. He thus oversaw moves to improve and increase mechanisation within the Post Office and the beginnings of a restructuring programme which would eventually see the privatisation of the telecommunications business.
During his tenure as Chief Executive and Chairman, Ryland made several appearances on television and radio. He was frequently interviewed on news and current affairs programmes, giving In 1970, for instance, an hour long interview in the form of a question and answer session with members of the public on the BBC Radio Four programme It's Your Line. Other media appearances included an interview on BBC Radio Two's Jimmy Young Show in December 1976 and various interviews on news magazine programmes such as Nationwide. Ryland also undertook numerous speaking engagements to organisations as diverse as the Cambridge University Management Group and the Mail Users' Association.
William Ryland was knighted for his services to the Post Office in January 1973.
Archival history
GB 0813 POST 123 Series 1969-1977 Series 36 files
Ryland , Sir , William , fl 1970-1977 , Knight , Chief Executive of Post Office Corporation
William Ryland was appointed Chief Executive and one of two Deputy Chairmen of the new Post Office Corporation on its creation on 1 October 1969, the other Deputy Chairman being Whitney Willard Straight who remained as Deputy Chairman until 1974. Prior to this, from 1967 to 1969, Ryland had been the Managing Director of Telecommunications. The first Chairman of the Corporation was William Hall, 2nd Viscount Hall, who retained the position from 10 October 1969 until standing down in 1970. At this point, Ryland assumed the role of Acting Chairman before being confirmed as Chairman in 1971. He remained Chairman of the Post Office Corporation until 1977, at which point he was succeeded by Sir William Barlow. During his time as Chairman, Ryland also held the role of Chief Executive in addition to other titles.
Ryland assumed these posts at a particularly crucial and difficult time for the new Corporation. His period in office saw several major initiatives designed to reinvigorate the Post Office, such as attempts to introduce greater levels of mechanisation into the postal service. In 1974, the then government requested the production of a wide-ranging report into the possibilities of rationalising postal services and this led to a Select Committee on Nationalised Industries enquiry into the letter post in 1975. Ryland also oversaw the introduction of several new ancillary services, such as Expresspost, and an attempt to achieve a measure of industrial democracy. Perhaps the most significant event of his Chairmanship, though, was the national postal strike of 1971 when, for several weeks, virtually the entire postal service in Great Britain was closed down. Although the strike ended in a partial victory for the Post Office Corporation, Ryland realised that the Corporation would have to modernise to compete in the late twentieth Century. He thus oversaw moves to improve and increase mechanisation within the Post Office and the beginnings of a restructuring programme which would eventually see the privatisation of the telecommunications business.
During his tenure as Chief Executive and Chairman, Ryland made several appearances on television and radio. He was frequently interviewed on news and current affairs programmes, giving In 1970, for instance, an hour long interview in the form of a question and answer session with members of the public on the BBC Radio Four programme It's Your Line. Other media appearances included an interview on BBC Radio Two's Jimmy Young Show in December 1976 and various interviews on news magazine programmes such as Nationwide. Ryland also undertook numerous speaking engagements to organisations as diverse as the Cambridge University Management Group and the Mail Users' Association.
William Ryland was knighted for his services to the Post Office in January 1973.
One four drawer filing cabinet was received by the Post Office Archive (then based in Post Office Headquarters Building, St Martin's Le Grand) in May 1981 from Room 4018, 23 Howland Street (Secretary's Office).
The Ryland collection was moved in August 1991, along with the rest of the Archive, to its present site. Prior to this move, the files were removed from the cabinet and placed in boxes.
Includes Board minutes and reports concerned with industrial relations with the Union of Postal Workers in general and the national postal workers' strike of January to March 1971 in particular.
Other papers include an account of a fact-finding visit to the United States of America undertaken with colleagues in March 1971, transcripts of interviews, some photographs and copies of speeches.
Duplicate material relating to the UPW pay dispute and duplicate publications and minutes have been disposed of. In addition, material considered to have little relevance to Ryland's career at the Post Office has been disposed of, along with his office diaries, as they were judged to contain nothing of long term historical significance.
The papers have been broken down as follows:
-Personal papers and photographs.
-Speeches and lectures.
-Inustrial relations (Committees and correspondence).
-Post Office Board: minutes, memoranda and papers.
-Overseas relations.
-Public engagements.
Public Record
Please contact the Archive for further information.
English
Please contact the Archive for further information.
see also Post 128 and Post 124: Private papers of William Barlow.
Entry checked by Barbara Ball
Compiled in compliance with General Internation Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G) second edition 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997
Entry checked June 2011 Postal services Ryland , Sir , William , fl 1970-1977 , Knight , Chief Executive of Post Office Corporation Labour relations Union of Post Office Workers Post Office Communication industry
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
One four drawer filing cabinet was received by the Post Office Archive (then based in Post Office Headquarters Building, St Martin's Le Grand) in May 1981 from Room 4018, 23 Howland Street (Secretary's Office).
The Ryland collection was moved in August 1991, along with the rest of the Archive, to its present site. Prior to this move, the files were removed from the cabinet and placed in boxes.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Includes Board minutes and reports concerned with industrial relations with the Union of Postal Workers in general and the national postal workers' strike of January to March 1971 in particular.
Other papers include an account of a fact-finding visit to the United States of America undertaken with colleagues in March 1971, transcripts of interviews, some photographs and copies of speeches.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Duplicate material relating to the UPW pay dispute and duplicate publications and minutes have been disposed of. In addition, material considered to have little relevance to Ryland's career at the Post Office has been disposed of, along with his office diaries, as they were judged to contain nothing of long term historical significance.
Accruals
System of arrangement
The papers have been broken down as follows:
-Personal papers and photographs.
-Speeches and lectures.
-Inustrial relations (Committees and correspondence).
-Post Office Board: minutes, memoranda and papers.
-Overseas relations.
-Public engagements.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Public Record
Conditions governing reproduction
Please contact the Archive for further information.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
see also Post 128 and Post 124: Private papers of William Barlow.
Finding aids
Please contact the Archive for further information.
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
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Compiled in compliance with General Internation Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G) second edition 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
- English