William Rees-Mogg
The steadfast editor who guided The Times through turbulent decades and became a vocal skeptic of modern monetary policy.
1928–2012 (age 84)·British journalist·Birthday: July 14·The Silent Generation
Biography
William Rees-Mogg was the embodiment of the British establishment, a cerebral and somewhat patrician figure who led The Times for 14 years. Taking the editor's chair in 1967, he navigated the paper through industrial strife, the transition to new printing technology, and a period of profound social change, all while maintaining its traditional authority. His influence extended far beyond the newsroom; he served as High Sheriff of Somerset, chaired the Arts Council, and was a vice-chairman of the BBC. In later years, writing his column from the House of Lords, he became known for his deeply conservative economic views, most famously his warnings about the instability of fiat currency and his advocacy for gold. He was, until the end, a man of firm principles who believed in the enduring power of institutions.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
William was born in 1928, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When William Was Born
The biggest hits of 1928
#1 Movie
The Singing Fool
Best Picture
Wings
William's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1928Born
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1933Started school
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1941Became a teenager
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1944Could drive
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1946Could vote
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1949Turned 21
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1958Turned 30
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1968Turned 40
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1978Turned 50
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 60
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 70
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 80
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2012Died at 84
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
Key Achievements
- Served as Editor of The Times from 1967 to 1981, a period encompassing major technological and labor challenges.
- Authored the famous 1967 editorial 'Who Breaks a Butterfly on a Wheel?' criticizing the sentencing of Rolling Stones members Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.
- Chaired the Arts Council of Great Britain from 1982 to 1989, overseeing public funding for the arts.
- Served as Vice-Chairman of the BBC's Board of Governors during the 1980s.
Did You Know?
He was the subject of the 1978 punk song 'William Rees-Mogg' by the band The Nosebleeds.
He correctly predicted the 1987 stock market crash in a column titled 'The Stock Market Peak' published just weeks before Black Monday.
He was a dedicated monarchist and wrote several books on historical and monetary subjects.
His children, Jacob and Annunziata Rees-Mogg, both became prominent Conservative politicians in the UK.
“The great mistake of the twentieth century has been the belief that paper money is as good as gold.”
