Herbert Marshall McLuhan was a Canadian educator, philosopher, and scholar known for his work in communication theory and media studies. He taught at several universities and received his PhD from Cambridge University. McLuhan explored the effects of new communication technologies and believed they had a profound influence on society and culture. He developed a large following in the 1960s for his provocative aphorism "the medium is the message." McLuhan suffered a stroke in the 1970s but continued his research until his death.