Huw Wheldon was one of the leading figures among BBC television programme makers in the 1960s and a top BBC administrator in the 1970s.
Huw's father, John Wheldon, was originally from Blaenau, but moved to London to work in Lloyd George's law firm. During World War I he met a London Welsh girl, Megan Edwards. They married and moved back up to Bangor where John took up a post as administrator for the university. Their first son, Huw, was followed by Tomos, Mair and Nans.
According to Sir Huge, Paul Ferris's biography of Huw Wheldon, he spent a great deal of time hanging round Bangor High Street with his friends. He didn't do too well at school and had to re-sit his matriculation which would enable him to go on to university.
In 1933 his father became permanent secretary to the Welsh Department of Education and the family moved to Woodville Gardens, Ealing. All the family, including the servants, still spoke Welsh at home in London.
In a letter to a good friend, Huw Wynne Griffith, a son of a Bangor minister, Huw wrote "I'm gradually sinking into the life of London. It certainly is opening my eyes to some things."
In 1934 he returned to Bangor, lodged with a clergyman's family and studied Latin and German at University College. But he failed his first year exams, returned to London and enrolled at the London School of Economics to study sociology.
In 1941 Huw joined the Royal Welch Fusiliers and became a senior instructor in the battle schools, training with live bombs. He won the Military Cross for bravery under fire during the D-Day landings in Normandy.
Huw joined the BBC's publicity department in 1952, and soon began to present the children's programme All Your Own.
He then became editor of the arts programme, Monitor from 1958 to 1964. He both produced the programme and appeared as its principal interviewer and anchor, leading a team which included David Jones, Ken Russell and Melvyn Bragg.
The second part of Wheldon's career was as a manager and administrator. He became head of documentary programs in 1962, a post that was enlarged the following year to head of music and documentary programmes. He became controller of the BBC in 1965 and in 1968, became director of BBC television. Age debarred him from succeeding Charles Curran as director general of the BBC.
Sir Ian Trethowan, who succeeded Huw Wheldon as managing director of television, described Wheldon's style of leadership as "tending towards the flamboyant and inspirational."
He became the Arts Council Director for Wales, and was awarded an OBE for his contributions to the Festival of Britain.
Huw Wheldon died on March 14 1986 from cancer. His ashes are in Kew Gardens and his grave in Nant Peris in the church of St Peris, alongside his father, mother, brother and forbears. Members of the Royal family and representatives from the arts and media attended his memorial at Westminster Abbey.
Arts broadcaster and administrator of the BBC.
