William Henry Hadow was born in Ebrington, Gloucestershire, in 1859, the eldest son of the vicar there. He studied at Malvern College, and then at Worcester College, Oxford, where he also lectured in both classics and music, and examined in literae humaniores, modern languages and English, until 1909 when he became principal of Armstrong College, Newcastle upon Tyne (part of Durham University). In 1918, he was knighted for his wartime services to education, and in 1920 he was appointed CBE. From 1919 to 1930, Hadow was vice-chancellor of the University of Sheffield, a period in which the chair of music was established and steps were taken towards the institution of degrees in music. F.H. Shera became the first full-time, resident, professor of music in 1928.

Hadow taught music, and composed chamber music, songs and hymns, and also wrote musical history and criticism. From 1920 to 1934, he also played a leading role in national education, as chairman of the consultative committee of the Board of Education, which in 1926 produced a report entitled The Education of the Adolescent, known as the "Hadow Report". Under Hadow´s influence, the place of music in the curriculum developed to become the equal of other subjects.

Sir William Henry Hadow died in April 1937.