Frank Ezra Adcock was a British classical historian of Greece and Rome, and worked as a cryptographer in both World Wars.

He was born in Desford, Leicestershire, and died at Cambridge. He was educated at King’s College

King's College, Cambridge

King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....

, Cambridge

University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...

. He became a fellow and lecturer there in 1911, and held the Chair of Ancient History

Professor of Ancient History, Cambridge University

The Professorship of Ancient History at the University of Cambridge was established by grace of 27 October 1898. The original electors were the Vice-Chancellor and eight persons elected by the Senate, two being nominated by the Council of the Senate, three by the General Board, and three by the...

 at Cambridge from 1925 to 1951 when he retired. With J. B. Bury

J. B. Bury

John Bagnell Bury , known as J. B. Bury, was an Irish historian, classical scholar, Byzantinist and philologist.-Biography:...

 and S. A. Cook he edited the Cambridge Ancient History

Cambridge Ancient History

The Cambridge Ancient History is a comprehensive ancient history in fourteen volumes, spanning Prehistory to Late Antiquity, published by Cambridge University Press. The first series, of twelve volumes, was planned by J. B. Bury and published between 1924 and 1939. A second series, revising and...

, which was published from 1923 to 1939, and also wrote ten chapters of it.

He was involved in cryptography in Room 40

Room 40

In the history of Cryptanalysis, Room 40 was the section in the Admiralty most identified with the British cryptoanalysis effort during the First World War.Room 40 was formed in October 1914, shortly after the start of the war...

 in World War I, and at Bletchley Park

Bletchley Park

Bletchley Park is an estate located in the town of Bletchley, in Buckinghamshire, England, which currently houses the National Museum of Computing...

from 1939 to 1943.