Biography
Colin Lucas studied at Lincoln College, Oxford. After graduation, he took a post as a Lecturer at the University of Sheffield (1965–69), and then later at the University of Manchester (1970–73). He became a Fellow and Tutor in Modern History at Balliol College in 1973. In 1990, he took a post at the University of Chicago as Professor of History, where he became chair of the History Department in 1992 and Dean of the Division of Social Sciences in 1993. He returned to Oxford in 1994 to become Master of Balliol College (1994–2000). In 2002, he was appointed Knight Bachelor for his services to higher education.
Sir Colin Lucas was the first Oxford Vice-Chancellor to serve for seven years (1997–2004, during which time he implemented many changes in the University governance structure, such as the adoption of external members to the University's Council, a radical restructuring of the committee system, divisionalism of academic departments, the establishment of a University Committee on Access and the adoption of new resource allocation and financial management systems.
Lucas specializes in the history of 18th century France, especially the French Revolution. His academic publications include The Structure of the Terror (1973) and Beyond the Terror (with Gwynne Lewis, 1983), as well as numerous essays and articles.
Sir Colin Lucas was knighted in 2002. He has been a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (FRHistS) since 1973. He was awarded an Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (France) in 1990, Chevalier Ordre du Mérite in 1994, and Légion d'Honneur in 1998 (Officier in 2005).
Lucas is the godfather of Mayor of London Boris Johnson.
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