# Laurie Sapper

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**Laurence Joseph Sapper** (15 September 1922 – 26 August 1989) was a [British](/source/British_people) legal expert and [trade union](/source/Trade_union) leader who became known for organising university teachers.

## Biography

Laurie Sapper was born into a Jewish family in London's [East End](/source/East_End_of_London).[1] He spent most of his childhood in [Hammersmith](/source/Hammersmith) and attended [Latymer Upper School](/source/Latymer_Upper_School).[2] His younger brother [Alan](/source/Alan_Sapper) also went on to be a noted trade union leader.[3]

In [World War II](/source/World_War_II), Sapper was a Senior Instructor in the [Royal Air Force](/source/Royal_Air_Force). During this time, he joined the [Communist Party of Great Britain](/source/Communist_Party_of_Great_Britain) (CPGB).[4] After the war, he worked for the [Ministry of Agriculture](/source/Ministry_of_Agriculture) while qualifying as a [barrister](/source/Barrister). However, he never practised law; instead he wrote and spoke about legal issues.[4] His publications included *A Practical Guide to Your Job and the Law* (1969) and numerous articles on law reform.[1] He also participated in over 300 [BBC](/source/BBC) broadcasts to discuss legal matters for ordinary citizens.[2]

In the 1950s he became active in [civil service](/source/Civil_Service_(United_Kingdom)) unions. In 1951 he was Assistant General Secretary of the [Institution of Professional Civil Servants](/source/Institution_of_Professional_Civil_Servants). Five years later he moved to the [Post Office Engineering Union](/source/Post_Office_Engineering_Union) where he was Deputy General Secretary.[1] In 1969 he was elected General Secretary of the [Association of University Teachers](/source/Association_of_University_Teachers) (AUT), and remained in that post until 1983. He helped build the AUT into a national organisation that fought for higher pay for university teachers.[5] During his tenure, the AUT affiliated to the [Trades Union Congress](/source/Trades_Union_Congress).[4]

In retirement, Sapper supported the *[Morning Star](/source/Morning_Star_(UK_newspaper))* group against the CPGB leadership, and defected to the new [Communist Party of Britain](/source/Communist_Party_of_Britain).[4]

Laurie Sapper died on 26 August 1989. He was survived by his wife Rita and their daughter.[1]

## References

1. ["Laurie Sapper"](https://www.newspapers.com/image/751383741/). *[The Daily Telegraph](/source/The_Daily_Telegraph)*. 31 August 1989. p. 17. – via Newspapers.com.

1. Sapper, Alan (6 September 1989). ["Laurie Sapper"](https://www.newspapers.com/image/718000520/). *[The Independent](/source/The_Independent)*. p. 14. – via Newspapers.com.

1. Barker, Dennis (23 May 2006). ["Obituary: Alan Sapper"](https://www.theguardian.com/news/2006/may/23/guardianobituaries.media). *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*. p. A29.

1. ["Laurie Sapper"](http://www.grahamstevenson.me.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=504:laurie-sapper&catid=19:s&Itemid=105). *Encyclopedia of Communist Biographies*. [Graham Stevenson](/source/Graham_Stevenson_(trade_union_leader)). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160801144030/https://www.grahamstevenson.me.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=504:laurie-sapper&catid=19:s&Itemid=105) 1 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine.

1. Fairhall, John (1 September 1989). ["Helping dons to be worldly"](https://www.newspapers.com/image/260266158/). *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*. p. 37. – via Newspapers.com.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Laurie Sapper](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurie_Sapper) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurie_Sapper?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.