He was born in Sheffield on 25 December 1913 and trained for the ministry at Headingley College. He served for 20 years in Central Missions. At Leeds, 1955-60, he was Methodist university chaplain. Succeeding D.S. Hubery at Westhill College in 1960, he developed the Community and Youth Department and shared in the development of MAYC. He advised successive British and Hong Kong governments on Youth Service, helped to establish Youth Service in Israel and led youth work trainees on visits to Berlin during the partition of Germany. He chaired the Local Radio Advisory Committee, the National Council for Voluntary Youth Service and the Bessey Committee. The Milson sub-committee of the Youth Service Development Council made a major contribution to the seminal report Youth and Community Work in the 70s (1969). He wrote prolifically on sociology and youth work and sustained a syndicated weekly newspaper column. He died in Birmingham on 2 September 1983.