Francis Sejersted slipped away quietly and peacefully in his home following a lengthy illness.

Georg Fredrik Rieber-Mohn, current chair of the Fritt Ord Foundation, pays tribute:

“Francis had a unique ability to see the big picture. He was exceptionally open to new ideas and initiatives, had great faith in the people around him, and invariably chose a path that called for courage and boldness. In controversial and difficult situations, he was a rock. Francis was exceedingly knowledgeable and well informed in most fields. He cultivated a very carefully considered attitude to freedom of expression as an idea and a principle”, concludes Rieber-Mohn.

Francis Sejersted was born in 1936 and passed away at age 79. He was a member of the Norwegian Nobel Committee from 1982 to 1999, serving as its chair from 1991 to 1999. He also chaired the formidable public Freedom of Expression Commission, which filed its recommendation in 1999.

Sejersted was a professor of Economic and Social History at the University of Oslo. He was named Commander of the Order of St. Olav in 1994.

Francis Sejersted will be sorely missed.

The Fritt Ord Foundation’s Board of Trustees and Administration

Photo: Annar Bjørgli