Gwilym Davies

Gwilym Davies CBE (24 March 1879 – 26 January 1955) was a Welsh Baptist minister, who spent much of his life attempting to enhance international relations through supporting the work of the League of Nations and its successor, the United Nations. He also established the Annual World Wireless Message to Children in 1922, and was the first person to broadcast in Welsh, on St David's Day 1923.

Life Davies was born on 24 March 1879 at Bedlinog, Glamorgan, in south Wales, to D. J. Davies, a local Baptist minister. He was educated at the grammar school in Llandeilo before training for ordination at the Midland Baptist College in Nottingham. He then won a scholarship to Jesus College, Oxford. He was ordained in 1906, serving first at Broadhaven in Pembrokeshire and then, between 1908 and 1915, in Carmarthen. With encouragement from David Davies (later Lord Davies of Llandinam), he helped to set up the Welsh School of Social Service in 1911. in 1954, the University of Wales awarded him an honorary doctorate of laws (LLD). He was survived by his wife, the peace activist Mary Elizabeth Ellis. They had married during WW2. His ashes were scattered at Lavernock Point, Penarth, where Marconi transmitted the first radio messages across water.