William Whyte

Sir William Whyte FRSE (1878–1945) was a 20th-century Scottish banker who served as President of the Institute of Bankers in Scotland from 1940 to 1942. He was one of the instigators of the Royal Bank of Scotland's 20th century expansion programme. Life He was born in Kinross on 14 August 1878. In September 1893 he was apprenticed as a banker at the Royal Bank of Scotland in Kinross. He later transferred to the Ayr branch before becoming the accountant at the Saltcoats branch. In February 1899 he made an important transfer the bank's London branch. The London branch was often the chosen area for future senior staff. Staying at the London branch he became Accountant in 1918 and became Joint Manager in 1921. He became sole Manager in January 1924. In February 1929 he returned to Scotland as Deputy General Manager at the Royal Bank's Headquarters at Dundas House in Edinburgh. He was involved in the expansion of the bank: acquiring Williams Deacon's Bank in Manchester and the London Western branch of the Bank of England.