The following is based upon a talk given at the American Physical Society Meeting in Baltimore, 18–21 April 1983 entitled, ‘‘Sakharov and Society’’ by Andrew M. Sessler. The occasion was the presentation by the Forum on Physics and Society of the 1982 Leo Szilard Award to Andrei Sakharov who was, of course, unable to attend. Dr. Sessler, former Director of the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, was Chairman, during 1982, of the American Physical Society Committee on the International Freedom of Scientists. Yvonne Howell is a freelance writer.