Sir (Edward) Ian Claud Jacob (1899-1993), Lieutenant-General; Director-General of the BBC

Sitter in 8 portraits
Army Officer and Director-General of the BBC. Jacob worked closely with Winston Churchill on defence matters throughout World War II and again as Chief Staff Officer and deputy military secretary when Churchilll returned to power in 1951. He retired from the Army in 1946 and was taken on by the BBC European Service to restore post-war morale. By 1947 he was in charge of all overseas broadcasts and in 1952 was appointed Director-General. During his eight years in the role, Jacob successfully guided the service into the television age and was a staunch defender of BBC editorial independence.