Asa Briggs facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Lord Briggs
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Asa Briggs
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| Born | 7 May 1921 Keighley, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
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| Died | 15 March 2016 (aged 94) Lewes, East Sussex, England
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| Occupation | Historian |
| Spouse(s) | Susan Anne Banwell (1955–2016, his death) |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
Royal Corps of Signals Intelligence Corps |
| Years of service | 1942–1945 |
| Rank | Warrant Officer |
| Battles/wars | Second World War |
Asa Briggs, Baron Briggs (born May 7, 1921 – died March 15, 2016) was a famous English historian. He was a top expert on the Victorian era, which was a time when Queen Victoria ruled Britain. He was also the main historian who wrote about how broadcasting (like radio and TV) developed in Britain. Asa Briggs was known around the world for studying many parts of modern British history. In 1976, he became a life peer, which means he was given a special title and could sit in the House of Lords for his lifetime.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Asa Briggs was born in 1921 in a town called Keighley, in Yorkshire, England. His father, William Briggs, was an engineer. Asa went to Keighley Boys' Grammar School and then studied history at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. He earned high marks in history and economics in 1941.
Military Service During World War II
During the Second World War, from 1942 to 1945, Asa Briggs worked for the Intelligence Corps. This was a special group that gathered secret information. He worked at Bletchley Park, a top-secret British place where they broke enemy codes.
At Bletchley Park, he was part of "the Watch" in Hut 6. This team worked on solving messages sent by the German Army and Air Force using a machine called Enigma. Breaking these codes was very important for the Allies to win the war. Asa Briggs got this job because a friend from college, Howard Smith, recommended him to the head of Hut 6.
A Career in History and Education
After the war, Asa Briggs became a fellow at Worcester College, Oxford in 1945. A fellow is like a senior teacher or researcher at a university. He also taught about recent social and economic history at the University of Oxford. While he was young, he even helped check the writing for Winston Churchill's book, A History of the English-Speaking Peoples.
Later, he became a professor of modern history at Leeds University from 1955 to 1961. Then, he moved to Sussex University in 1961, where he was a history professor. He also held important leadership roles there, like pro vice-chancellor and vice-chancellor. The vice-chancellor is like the head of the university.
In 1976, he went back to Oxford to lead Worcester College as its provost. He retired from this role in 1991.
Leading the Open University
Asa Briggs also played a big part in the Open University. This university allows people to study for degrees from home, often through distance learning. He was the chancellor of the Open University from 1978 to 1994. The chancellor is usually the ceremonial head of a university.
His Writings and Other Roles
Asa Briggs wrote many books. Between 1961 and 1995, he wrote a five-book series about the history of broadcasting in the UK. This was mainly the history of the BBC, which is Britain's main public broadcaster. The BBC asked him to write these books.
He also wrote about other topics, like the time Karl Marx lived in London. He even wrote the history of the famous British store, Marks and Spencer.
Lord Briggs was also involved with several important societies:
- He was President of the Brontë Society from 1987 to 1996. This society celebrates the famous Brontë writers, like Charlotte Brontë and Emily Brontë.
- He was President of the William Morris Society from 1978 to 1991.
- He was President of the UK's Victorian Society from 1986 until he passed away. This society works to protect Victorian buildings and heritage.
In the early 1970s, Asa Briggs led a government study about nursing. The report from this study became known as the Briggs Report.
Personal Life
Asa Briggs married Susan Anne Banwell in 1955. They had two sons and two daughters. He passed away at his home in Lewes on March 15, 2016, when he was 94 years old.
See also
In Spanish: Asa Briggs para niños
