Frederick Johnson Pedler, Kt (1969), was born on the 10 July 1908 and educated at Watford Grammar School, and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. He joined the Colonial Office in 1930 and was seconded to Tanganyika in 1934. He was, subsequently, Secretary to the Commission on Higher Education in East Africa and Sudan (1937); Secretary to the Lord Privy Seal (1938), and Secretary to Lord Hailey in Africa (1939) and in Congo (1940). Pedler was Chief British Economic Representative in Dakar (1942) and he also worked in the Finance Department of the Colonial Office (1944).

In 1947 Pedler joined the United Africa Company and was the company's Director (1951) and Deputy Chairman (1965-1968). He was also Director of Unilever Ltd. and NV (1956-1968) and worked for William Baird Ltd. (1969-1975). Sir Pedler was Chairman of the Council for Technical Education and Training for Overseas Countries (1962-1973) and Chairman of the East Africa and Mauritius Association (1966-1968). He was a member of the Inter-University Council (1967-1973) and Treasurer of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London (1969-1981) from whom he received an Honorary Fellowship in 1976. Sir Pedler died on the 6 April 1991.