Professor Lord Asa Briggs was one of the most important historians of Britain. He is world-renowned for his work in social history, culture, and communications. He has also been a national and international leader in education, and in life-long learning. He has been Vice-Chancellor of The University of Sussex, Chancellor of the Open University, Master of Worcester College, Oxford, and Chancellor of the Open University, of which he was one of the originators. He served as an intelligence officer at Bletchley Park during World War Two.