Hein Vos Explained

Hein Vos
Office:Member of the Council of State
Term Start:21 February 1968
Term End:23 April 1972
Vicepresident:Louis Beel
Office1:Parliamentary leader in the Senate
Term Start1:15 November 1960
Term End1:16 February 1968
Predecessor1:Joris in 't Veld
Successor1:Maarten de
Niet Gerritzoon
Parliamentarygroup1:Labour Party
Office2:Member of the Senate
Term Start2:6 November 1956
Term End2:16 February 1968
Parliamentarygroup2:Labour Party
Office3:Chairman of the Labour Party
Term Start3:10 May 1960
Term End3:24 March 1961
Ad interim
Leader3:Jaap Burger
Predecessor3:Evert Vermeer
Successor3:Ko Suurhoff
Term Start4:5 June 1953
Term End4:23 February 1955
Leader4:Willem Drees
Predecessor4:Koos Vorrink
Successor4:Evert Vermeer
Office5:Member of the Social
and Economic Council
Term Start5:1 June 1950
Term End5:21 February 1968
Office6:Minister of Transport and
Water Management
Term Start6:1 March 1947
Term End6:7 August 1948
Primeminister6:Louis Beel
Predecessor6:Himself
as Minister of Transport
Successor6:Josef van Schaik (Ad interim)
Office7:Minister of Public Works
and Reconstruction
Term Start7:15 November 1946
Term End7:3 March 1947
Ad interim
Primeminister7:Louis Beel
Predecessor7:Johan Ringers
Successor7:Lambertus Neher
as Minister of Reconstruction
and Housing
Office8:Minister of Transport
Term Start8:3 July 1946
Term End8:1 March 1947
Primeminister8:Louis Beel
Predecessor8:Steef van Schaik
as Minister of Transport
and Energy
Successor8:Himself
as Minister of Transport
and Water Management
Office9:Minister of Commerce
and Industry
Term Start9:25 June 1945
Term End9:3 July 1946
Primeminister9:Willem Schermerhorn
Predecessor9:Hans Gispen
as Minister of Commerce,
Industry and Agriculture
Successor9:Gerardus Huysmans
as Minister of Economic Affairs
Office10:Member of the House of Representatives
Term Start10:27 July 1948
Term End10:16 December 1948
Term Start11:4 June 1946
Term End11:9 July 1946
Term Start12:8 June 1937
Term End12:25 June 1945
Parliamentarygroup12:Labour Party (1946–1948)
Social Democratic
Workers' Party
(1937–1946)
Birthname:Hendrik Vos
Birth Date:1903 7, df=y
Birth Place:Tijnje, Netherlands
Death Place:Wassenaar, Netherlands
Nationality:Dutch
Party:Labour Party (from 1946)
Otherparty:Social Democratic
Workers' Party
(1923–1946)
Partner:Aar van de Werfhorst
(1945–1972)
Alma Mater:Delft Institute of Technology
(Bachelor of Engineering, Master of Engineering)

Hendrik "Hein" Vos (5 July 1903 – 23 April 1972) was a Dutch politician of the defunct Social Democratic Workers' Party (SDAP) and later the Labour Party (PvdA) and economist.[1]

Biography

Vos attended a Gymnasium in Heerenveen from April 1917 until May 1921 and applied at the Delft Institute of Technology in June 1921 majoring in Electrical engineering and obtaining a Bachelor of Engineering degree in June 1923 before graduating with a Master of Engineering degree in July 1927. Vos worked as a civil servant for the municipality of Deventer from July 1927 until September 1928 and for the Patent Office of the Ministry of Economic Affairs from September 1928 until July 1934. Vos served on the Municipal Council of Rijswijk from 1 September 1931 until 22 July 1934. Vos worked as a trade union leader for the Dutch Trade Unions association (NVV) from July 1934 until 8 June 1937 and as the director of the Social Democratic Workers' Party think tank from July 1934 until May 1940. Vos also served as editor-in-chief of the party newspaper Vrijheid, Arbeid en Brood from June 1935 until May 1940. Vos served on the Municipal Council of Amsterdam from 3 September 1935 until 5 September 1939.

Vos was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives after the election of 1937, taking office on 8 June 1937 serving as a frontbencher and spokesperson for Economic Affairs. On 10 May 1940 Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands and the government fled to London to escape the German occupation. During the German occupation Vos continued to serve as a Member of the House of Representatives in name only but in reality the de facto political influence of the House of Representatives was marginalized by the German occupation authority. Following the end of World War II Queen Wilhelmina ordered the formation of a Government of National unity to serve as a caretaker capacity until the new election with Vos appointed as Minister of Commerce and Industry in the Cabinet Schermerhorn–Drees, taking office on 25 June 1945. On 9 February 1946 the Social Democratic Workers' Party (SDAP), the Free-thinking Democratic League (VDB) and the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) choose to merge to form the Labour Party (PvdA). After the election of 1946 Vos returned as a Member of the House of Representatives, taking office on 4 June 1946. Following the cabinet formation of 1946 Vos was appointed as Minister of Transport in the Cabinet Beel I, taking office on 3 July 1946. Vos served as acting Minister of Public Works and Reconstruction from 15 November 1946 until 3 March 1947 following the resignation Johan Ringers. On 1 March 1947 the Minister of Transport was renamed as the Minister of Transport and Water Management. After the election of 1948 Vos again returned as a Member of the House of Representatives, taking office on 27 July 1948. Following the cabinet formation of 1948 Vos was not giving a cabinet post in the new cabinet, the Cabinet Beel I was replaced by the Cabinet Drees-Van Schaik on 7 August 1948 and he continued to serve in the House of Representatives as a frontbencher and spokesperson for Economic Affairs and Small business.

In December 1948 Vos was named as chief executive officer (CEO) of the insurance company NV Centrale Algemene Levensverzekeringsmaatschappij, he resigned as a Member of the House of Representatives on 16 December 1948 and was installed as CEO on 1 January 1949. Vos remained in active in national politics, he served as Chairman of the Labour Party from 5 June 1953 until 23 February 1955. Vos was elected as a Member of the Senate after the Senate election of 1956, taking office on 6 November 1956 serving as a frontbencher and spokesperson for Finances and Agriculture. After the Senate election of 1960 Vos was selected as Parliamentary leader of the Labour Party in the Senate, taking office on 15 November 1960. In February 1968 Vos was nominated as a Member of the Council of State, he resigned as Parliamentary leader and as a Member of the House of Representatives on 16 February 1968 and was installed as a Member of the Council of State, taking office on 21 February 1968.

Vos was known for his abilities as a manager and policy wonk. He holds the distinction as the first known LGBT Member of the House of Representatives and government Minister of the Netherlands, this fact was an open secret in Dutch politics at that time.[2] [3]

Decorations

Honours
Ribbon bar Honour Country Date Comment
Knight of the Order of the Netherlands LionNetherlands31 August 1948
Commander of the Order of Orange-NassauNetherlands30 April 1964

External links

Official

Notes and References

  1. Hein Vos, Biografisch Woordenboek van het Socialisme en de Arbeidersbeweging in Nederland, 10 July 2002
  2. Ir. H. Vos, Parlementair Documentatie Centrum, 10 December 2010
  3. Homo politicus, Uitgeverij Balans, 17 March 2016