Federation of British Industries

The Federation of British Industries (FBI) was an employers' association in the United Kingdom.

Founded by the Midlands industrialist Dudley Docker in 1916 as the United British Industries' Association, but renamed later that same year, it was initially composed of 124 firms which each gave £1,000 for its foundation. The FBI never took part in labour relations but was progressively involved in tariff reform. It slowly gathered other regional and overseas organisations and was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1923.

In 1965, it merged with the British Employers' Confederation and the National Association of British Manufacturers to form the Confederation of British Industry. It was by far the biggest organisation of the three, composed of about 9,000 individual firms and 272 trade associations by 1964.

Presidents included Sir Eric Campbell Geddes (1923-1925), Joseph Albert Pease (1927-1928), Sir George Macdonogh (1933-1934), George Horatio Nelson (1943-1944), Sir Clive Baillieu (1945-1947), Sir Frederick Bain (1947-1949), Sir Robert Sinclair (1949-1951), Sir Archibald Forbes (1951-1953), Sir Harry Pilkington (1953-1955), Sir Graham Hayman (1957-1959), William Hunter McFadzean (1959-1961), and Sir Cyril Ernest Harrison (1961-1963). Directors (later retitled director-general) included Sir Roland Nugent from 1916 to 1917 and 1919 to 1932, Sir Guy Locock from 1932 to 1945, and Sir Norman Kipping from 1946 to 1965.

References

• Young, Michael (1963) [1958]. The Rise of the Meritocracy. Great Britain: Penguin Books. p. 143. ISBN 1-56000-704-4. Retrieved 2011-01-12.

External links

• Catalogue of the FBI archives, held at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick