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	{{Infobox officeholder		{{Infobox officeholder
	\|image = File:W. C. G. Knowles.jpg		\|image = File:W. C. G. Knowles.jpg

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{{Short description|British businessman in Hong Kong}}
{{EngvarB|date=June 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|image = File:W. C. G. Knowles.jpg
|imagesize =
|alt =
|honorific-prefix =
|name = W. C. G. Knowles
|honorific-suffix = [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]], [[Master of Arts|MA]], [[Legum Doctor|LLD]], [[Justice of Peace|JP]]
|office = [[Unofficial Member]] of the [[Executive Council of Hong Kong]]
|term_start = 18 June 1963
|term_end = 1 July 1965
|predecessor = [[Hugh Barton]]
|successor = [[Sidney Gordon (businessman)|Sidney Gordon]]
|appointed =
|office1 = Unofficial Member of the [[Legislative Council of Hong Kong]]
|term_start1 = 19 July 1961
|term_end1 = 17 June 1964
|predecessor1 = [[George MacDonald Goldsack|G. M. Goldsack]]
|successor1 = [[George Ronald Ross|G. R. Ross]]
|appointed1 =
|office2 = Vice-Chancellor of the [[University of Hong Kong]]
|term_start2 = 19 November 1964
|term_end2 = 30 June 1965
|predecessor2 = Sir [[Lindsay Ride]]
|successor2 = Professor [[A. J. S. McFadzean]]
|birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1908|1|12}}
|birth_place = [[Bombay]], British India
|death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1969|1|13|1908|1|12}}
|death_place = [[Jakarta]], Indonesia
|party =
|occupation = Businessman
|alma_mater = [[Christ's Hospital]]<br>[[Trinity College, Cambridge]]
|resting_place =
|children =
|spouse =
|religion =
|signature =
|footnotes =
}}

Dr. '''William Charles Goddard Knowles''', [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]], [[Master of Arts|MA]], [[Legum Doctor|LLD]], [[Justice of Peace|JP]] ({{zh-t|鈕魯詩}}; 12 January 1908 – 13 January 1969) was a British businessman in Hong Kong. He was general manager of the [[Butterfield and Swire]], chairman of the [[Cathay Pacific Airways]], member of the [[Legislative Council of Hong Kong|Legislative Council]] and the [[Executive Council of Hong Kong|Executive Council]] and vice-chancellor of the [[University of Hong Kong]].

==Biography==
Knowles was born in [[Bombay]], [[British India]] on 12 January 1908. He was educated at [[Christ's Hospital]], Sussex, and [[Trinity College, Cambridge]]. After he graduated he joined [[Butterfield and Swire]] and its parent company in London. From 1929 to 39, he worked in different Chinese cities including Yangtze ports, Hong Kong, Tientsin and Shanghai.<ref name="honorary">{{cite web|title=The Hon William Charles Goddard KNOWLES|url=http://www4.hku.hk/hongrads/index.php/archive/graduate_detail/67|publisher=The University of Hong Kong}}</ref>

He served in the [[British Indian Army|Indian Army]] during the [[Second World War]] and resumed his office at Butterfield and Swire in Shanghai after the war ended. He moved to Hong Kong in 1947 and was appointed general manager of the company in 1957. He was also chairman of associated companies such as [[Taikoo Dockyard|Taikoo Dockyard and Engineering Co. Ltd.]], [[Taikoo Sugar Refinery|Taikoo, Sugar Refining Co. Ltd.]], Duro Paint Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Swire and MacLaine, Ltd., [[Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd.]] and the [[Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Co. Ltd.]] He was also a director and later the chairman of the [[Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation]] and a director of the [[Hongkong Land|Hong Kong Land Investment and Agency Co. Ltd.]] and the [[Union Insurance Society of Canton]].<ref name="honorary"/>

Besides his business positions, he served on the committee of the [[Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce]] from 1961 to 62 and was the chairman of the chamber for two years. He was also appointed founding chairman of the [[Hong Kong Tourist Association]] and member of the [[Legislative Council of Hong Kong|Legislative Council]] (1961–64) and the [[Executive Council of Hong Kong]].<ref name="honorary"/>

Knowles was manager of Butterfield and Swire until he served briefly in the office of vice-chancellor of the [[University of Hong Kong]], in succession to Sir [[Lindsay Ride]], from 1964 to 1965. He had been member of the Court and Council from 1958 and treasurer of the university in 1962.<ref name="honorary"/>

In recognition of his services to the colony and to the university he was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws in 1964. He was also awarded [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (CBE) for his public service in 1965.<ref name="honorary"/><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=43529 |supp=y |page=24|date=1 January 1965}}</ref> Knowles Building in the University of Hong Kong campus is named after him. A character named Quillan Gornt in the novel ''[[Noble House (novel)|Noble House]]'' is based on Knowles and [[John Kidston Swire]], the two taipans of Butterfield and Swire.<ref>{{cite web|title=Film Review: Noble House|date=8 October 2010|work=ThingsAsian|first=Celeste|last=Heiter}}</ref>

He held the position of executive director of [[Lloyd's Register of Shipping]] when he died suddenly on a business trip in [[Jakarta]], [[Indonesia]] on 13 January 1969.<ref>{{cite book|title=Maritime Reporter & Engineering News (September 1969)|page=26}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [https://mmis.hkpl.gov.hk/coverpage/-/coverpage/view?p_r_p_-1078056564_c=QF757YsWv58JCjtBMMIqomyRKGIQh7O7 Time To Remember] – Interview with Bill Knowles

{{s-start}}
{{s-bus}}
{{s-bef | before=[[George MacDonald Goldsack|G. M. Goldsack]]}}
{{s-ttl | title=Chairman of the [[Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce]]| years=1961–1964}}
{{s-aft |after=[[Sidney Gordon (businessman)|S. S. Gordon]]}}
{{s-bef | before=[[Hugh Barton|H. D. M. Barton]]}}
{{s-ttl | title=Chairman of the [[Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation]]| years=1964}}
{{s-aft |after=[[Jake Saunders|John A. H. Saunders]]}}
{{s-par|hk}}
{{s-bef | before=G. M. Goldsack}}
{{s-ttl | title=[[Unofficial Member]]| years=1961–1964|district=[[Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce]]}}
{{s-aft | after=[[George Ronald Ross|G. R. Ross]]}}
{{s-aca|hk}}
{{s-bef | before=Sir [[Lindsay Ride]]}}
{{s-ttl | title=Vice-Chancellor of the [[University of Hong Kong]]| years=1964–65}}
{{s-aft | after=Professor [[A. J. S. McFadzean]]}}
{{end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Knowles, William Charles Goddard}}
[[Category:1908 births]]
[[Category:1969 deaths]]
[[Category:Military personnel of British India]]
[[Category:Indian Army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:British Indian Army personnel]]
[[Category:People educated at Christ's Hospital]]
[[Category:Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge]]
[[Category:British businesspeople in shipping]]
[[Category:British expatriates in China]]
[[Category:British expatriates in Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Hong Kong shipping businesspeople]]
[[Category:Hong Kong chief executives]]
[[Category:Cathay Pacific]]
[[Category:Swire Group]]
[[Category:Chairmen of HSBC]]
[[Category:Members of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Members of the Executive Council of Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Heads of universities in Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Vice-Chancellors of the University of Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]]

W. C. G. Knowles - Revision history

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