William Graham Greene

For his nephew the novelist, see Graham Greene.

Sir William Graham Greene KCB JP (16 January 1857 – 10 September 1950) was an English civil servant who served as Permanent Secretary to the Admiralty from 1911 to 1917, during the time of the First World War. Greene, was one of the founders of Naval Intelligence in the First World War and still involved in Intelligence in the Second World War.

He was born in Takeley, Essex, the son of William Greene, of East Lodge, Bedford, and his wife, Charlotte. He was known as Graham, so as not to be confused with his father, and was the uncle of the celebrated author of the same name, who wrote of memorable childhood summers spent at Sir Graham's home, Harston House. He was also the uncle of Hugh Greene, who served as Director-General of the BBC, and Raymond Greene, the eminent physician and mountaineer. He was educated privately in Germany and at Cheltenham College.

Between 1875 and 1879, he worked first as the family brewery in Bury St Edmunds, now known as the Greene King Brewery. He began his career as a civil servant at Inland Revenue in 1879, and two years later he transferred to the Admiralty. In 1887, he became assistant private secretary, serving through to 1892 as under successive First Lords of the Admiralty: Lord George Hamilton, George Robinson, 1st Marquess of Ripon, John Spencer, 5th Earl Spencer, George Goschen and William Palmer, 2nd Earl of Selborne. Greene was actively involved in the heavy administrative work during a time of considerable reorganisation and expansion of the Navy.

From December 1902 to 1907, he served as Principal Clerk in the department at the Secretary to the Admiralty, and under John Fisher, 1st Baron Fisher assisted with significant further reorganisation. In 1907, he was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Admiralty, and in September 1911 succeeded Sir Inigo Thomas as Permanent Secretary. He served in this capacity for six years of "crushing responsibility" in the First World War, as the Admiralty was preparing for and directing massive operations vital to the war effort.

In 1917, the Admiralty and other departments saw significant changes, and Greene was invited to assume the Secretaryship of the Ministry of Munitions. Greene's many years of experience were an asset needed in the new Ministry. He took up his new post in August 1917 and remained at the Ministry of Munitions until his retirement in 1920.

According to The Times, Greene "was a conscientious, zealous, and greatly experienced officer, but his modest nature deprived him of the strong personality which might have given him greater influence in the conduct of affairs."

He died unmarried at Harston House, Harston, Cambridgeshire in 1950.