About Donald Stokes, Baron Stokes
Donald Gresham Stokes, Baron Stokes (22 March 1914 – 21 July 2008) was an English industrialist. He was the managing director of Leyland Motors from 1962 to 1968 and the chief executive of its successor British Leyland from 1968 to 1975. == Life and career == Stokes was born in Plymouth, and educated at Blundell's School in Tiverton, Devon. In 1930 he commenced an engineering apprenticeship with Leyland Motors, which included further education at the Harris Institute of Technology in Preston. During the Second World War, Stokes served with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, reaching the rank of lieutenant-colonel. In the early summer of 1939 he married Laura Elizabeth Courteney Lamb. Excepting the break for military service between 1939 and 1945, Stokes stayed with Leyland throughout his career, although he also served in the Territorial Army. In 1968 he was appointed chairman and managing director of British Leyland, a challenging role much in the public eye at the time. In 1977 Michael Edwardes was appointed chief executive at British Leyland, but Stokes remained on the board till 1979. Stokes was awarded with a knighthood in the 1965 Birthday Honours, having the honour conferred by The Queen on 11 November.
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