William N. Lane II (c. 1917–1978) was an American president and chairman of Lane Industries, which owned General Binding Corporation, a farm in Virginia, and Bell Ranch.^[2] Lane was the chief executive officer and chairman of the Board of General Binding Corporation, a firm that makes business equipment.^[2][3] Bell Ranch is a large cattle ranch in eastern New Mexico.^[3][4] He was the director of four banks, Northwest National Bank of Chicago, Lakeview Trust and Savings Bank, Pioneer Bank and Trust Company, and Northbrook Trust and Savings Bank^[2] that he purchased between 1970 and 1976.^[5]

Lane was a member of the Class of 1939 at Princeton University.^[6] During World War II, he was a pilot and flight instructor for the United States Navy.^[2]

William Noble Lane, the son of Elizabeth Schwaab Lane and William Noble Lane Sr., was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 21, 1917.^[1] Lane married Ann (née Phelps) Young^[7][8] in June 1949 in Lake Forest, Illinois.^[1] Ann was the stepmother of William N. Lane III. The couple had five children, Carolyn, Barbara, Jeffrey, Nelson, and Andrew.^[2][8] Lane lived in Lake Forest, Illinois^[2] and at his 292,000-acre cattle ranch Bell Ranch. He died at his ranch after running off the road and crashing his car on September 18, 1978.^[2][3] Lane's wife lived at the ranch at the time of his death.^[1] Ann died in Charlottesville, Virginia on October 23, 1991.^[8] Lane and his wife Ann were buried at Bell Ranch in Tucumcari, New Mexico.^[9]

Following his father's death, William N. Lane III became the vice chairman at General Binding Corporation.^[10] Brothers Andrew and Jeffrey and Jeffrey's wife Janet lived and worked at the Bell Ranch at the time of their father's and father-in-law's death.^[1]