William Lewis Bell (b 1919), CMG (1970), MBE (1945) was educated at Hymers College, Hull, and Oriel College, Oxford. In 1943 he married Margaret Giles, with whom he had one son and one daughter.

He served with the Gloucestershire Regiment, 1940-1946, then moved to Uganda, where he worked as district officer, 1946-1954, Assistant Financial Secretary, from 1954, Deputy Secretary to the Treasury, from 1956, and Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Education, 1958-1962. He was Director of Cox & Danks Ltd (MI Group), 1963-1964, Secretary, Westfield College, University of London, 1964-1965, founding head of the British Development Division for the Caribbean Ministry of Overseas Development, [from] 1966, and UK Director of the Caribbean Development Bank, 1970-1972. He worked as founding Director General, Technical Education and Training [Organisation], Ministry of Overseas Development, 1972-1977, was Information Officer, University of Oxford, 1977-1984, Chairman, Uganda National Parks, [from] 1962, President of the Uganda Sports Union, 1961-1962 and a fellow of the Economic Development Institute World Bank, [from] 1958.