Dirk Stikker | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Stikker in 1964 | |
| 3rdSecretary General of NATO | |
| In office 21 April 1961 – 1 August 1964 | |
| Preceded by | Paul-Henri Spaak |
| Succeeded by | Manlio Brosio |
| Permanent Representative of the Netherlands toNATO and theOECD | |
| In office 15 June 1958 – 21 April 1961 | |
| Preceded by | Eelco van Kleffens |
| Succeeded by | Hugo Scheltema |
| Ambassador of theNetherlands to the United Kingdom | |
| In office 10 September 1952 – 15 June 1958 | |
| Preceded by | Edgar Michiels van Verduynen |
| Succeeded by | Herman van Roijen |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 7 August 1948 – 2 September 1952 | |
| Prime Minister | Willem Drees |
| Preceded by | Pim van Boetzelaer van Oosterhout |
| Succeeded by | Johan Beyen |
| Chairman of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy | |
| In office 28 January 1948 – 7 August 1948 | |
| Leader | Pieter Oud |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Pieter Oud |
| Leader of the Freedom Party | |
| In office 23 March 1946 – 28 January 1948 | |
| Leader | Himself |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Office discontinued |
| Chairman of the Freedom Party | |
| In office 23 March 1946 – 28 January 1948 | |
| Leader | Himself |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Office discontinued |
| Member of the Senate | |
| In office 20 November 1945 – 7 August 1948 | |
| Parliamentary group | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (1948) Freedom Party (1946–1948) Liberal State Party (1945–1946) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Dirk Uipko Stikker (1897-02-05)5 February 1897 Winschoten, Netherlands |
| Died | 23 December 1979(1979-12-23) (aged 82) Wassenaar, Netherlands |
| Political party | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (from 1948) |
| Other political affiliations | Freedom Party (1946–1948) Liberal State Party (1945–1946) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Uipko Dirk Stikker (born 1924) Allerd Stikker (born 1928) |
| Alma mater | University of Groningen (Bachelor of Laws,Master of Laws) |
| Occupation | Politician · Diplomat · civil servant · Businessman · Banker ·Corporate director ·Nonprofit director ·Trade association executive |
Dirk Uipko StikkerGCVO GBE (5 February 1897 – 23 December 1979) was a Dutch politician and diplomat of the defunctLiberal State Party (LSP), co-founder of the defunctFreedom Party (PvdV) and of thePeople's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), and businessman. Stikker was known for his abilities as a manager andnegotiator. Stikker continued to comment on political affairs as a statesman until his death. He holds the distinction as the first Secretary General of NATO from the Netherlands.[1]
Born inWinschoten, he studied law at theUniversity of Groningen. After his studies he began a career in the banking sector. In 1935, he became the director ofHeineken International, the famous beer company. He held this post until 1948. In 1945, he was among the organizers of theStichting van de Arbeid (Dutch Labour Foundation), thus helping to lay the foundation for post-warcollective bargaining in theNetherlands.
From 1922 until 1926, Stikker worked as an accountant for theTwentsche Bank, and then as Director of abranch of the bank from 1926 until 1928. Then in 1928 until 1935 Stikker worked as a regional manager for the Twentsche Bank. Stikker worked as member of the management board forHeineken N.V. from 1 July 1935 until 1 August 1948 and as chairman of that board from 1940 until 1948. Following the end ofWorld War II,Queen Wilhelmina ordered aRecall of Parliament and Stikker became aMember of the Senate taking the place of the deceasedSamuel van den Bergh, on 20 November 1945. On 23 March 1946, the Liberal State Party was renamed as the Freedom Party. Stikker was one of the co-founders and became theLeader of the Freedom Party andChairman. On 24 January 1948, the Freedom Party (PvdV) and theCommittee-Oud merged to form the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). Stikker was one of the co-founders and became the firstChairman of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy.
Afterelection of 1948 theLeader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy andParliamentary leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy in the House of RepresentativesPieter Oud opted to remain in the House of Representatives instead of accepting a ministerial post in the newCabinet Drees–Van Schaik and endorsed Stikker who had been serving as theDeputy Leader asMinister of Foreign Affairs, taking office on 7 August 1948. TheCabinet Drees–Van Schaik fell on 24 January 1951 and was replaced by theCabinet Drees I with Stikker continuing as Minister of Foreign Affairs, taking office on 15 March 1951. In February 1952 Stikker announced that he would not stand for theelection of 1952. TheCabinet Drees I was succeeded by theCabinet Drees II on 2 September 1952. Stikker remained in active politics, he was appointed as the Ambassador of the Netherlands to the United Kingdom, serving from 10 September 1952 until 15 June 1958 when he was appointed as the Permanent Representative of the Netherlands toNATO and theOECD. In April 1961 Stikker was nominated as the nextSecretary General of NATO. He resigned as Permanent Representative on 21 April 1961 the day he was installed as Secretary General, serving from 21 April 1961 until 1 August 1964.
Afterelection of 1948 theLeader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy andParliamentary leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy in the House of RepresentativesPieter Oud opted to remain in the House of Representatives instead of accepting a ministerial post in the newCabinet Drees–Van Schaik and endorsed Stikker who had been serving as theDeputy Leader asMinister of Foreign Affairs, taking office on 7 August 1948. TheCabinet Drees–Van Schaik fell on 24 January 1951 and was replaced by theCabinet Drees I with Stikker continuing as Minister of Foreign Affairs, taking office on 15 March 1951. In February 1952 Stikker announced that he would not stand for theelection of 1952. TheCabinet Drees I was succeeded by theCabinet Drees II on 2 September 1952. Stikker remained in active politics, he was appointed as the Ambassador of the Netherlands to the United Kingdom, serving from 10 September 1952 until 15 June 1958 when he was appointed as the Permanent Representative of the Netherlands toNATO and theOECD. In April 1961 Stikker was nominated as the nextSecretary General of NATO. He resigned as Permanent Representative on 21 April 1961 the day he was installed as Secretary General, serving from 21 April 1961 until 1 August 1964.
After his retirement, Stikker occupied numerous seats as a corporate director and nonprofit director for supervisory boards in the business and industry world and for supervisory boards for several international non-governmental organizations and research institutes (Unilever,Van Lanschot,Netherlands Atlantic Association,Carnegie Foundation,Trilateral Commission and theDSM Company) and as an advocate and lobbyist forEuropean integration and serving on several commissions for theEuropean Economic Community andstate commissions on behalf of the Dutch government. He served as theSecretary General of NATO from 21 April 1961 until 1 August 1964.
Stikker entered politics in 1945, when he was elected to theSenate of theStates General. On 23 March 1946, he co-founded thePartij van de Vrijheid (PvdV, Freedom Party), together with some former members of the pre-warLiberale Staatspartij (LSP, Liberal State Party). On 24 January 1948, the PvdV was absorbed by theVolkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie (VVD, Peoples Party for Freedom and Democracy), which is as of 2022[update] the country's most important Liberal party. Stikker was the VVD's first chairman.
In 1948, Stikker becameminister of foreign affairs in the first government led byWillem Drees, holding that position until 1951. After his party adopted ano-confidence motion over the government'scolonial policy inNew Guinea, Stikker resigned on 23 January 1951, prompting the cabinet's fall. He returned to that position less than two months later. The Netherlands played an important role in the creation ofNATO and theEuropean Coal and Steel Community during Stikker's time in office as minister of foreign affairs.
After his ministerial office, Stikker wasambassador to the United Kingdom (1952–1958) and head of the Dutch Permanent Representation to theNorth Atlantic Council and to the Organization for European Economic Co-operation, the predecessor of theOECD (1958–1961).
On 21 April 1961 he succeededPaul-Henri Spaak to become thethird Secretary General of NATO. He resigned due to poor health on 1 August 1964.
In 1964, Stikker was awarded an honorary doctorate byBrown University. He died inWassenaar in 1979, aged 82.
| Honours | ||||
| Ribbon bar | Honour | Country | Date | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Grand Cross of theOrder of the Oak Crown | Luxembourg | 29 April 1949 | |
 | Grand Cross of theOrder of the Crown | Belgium | 15 September 1950 | |
_Ribbon.png) | Knight Grand Cross of theOrder of the British Empire | United Kingdom | 30 May 1951 | |
 | Knight Grand Cross of theRoyal Victorian Order | United Kingdom | 24 December 1958 | |
 | Knight Grand Cross of theOrder of Merit | Italy | 9 September 1961 | |
 | Grand Cross of theLegion of Honour | France | 1 June 1962 | |
 | Grand Cross of theOrder of the Phoenix | Greece | 18 November 1962 | |
 | Grand Cross 1st Class of theOrder of Merit | Germany | 23 May 1963 | |
 | Knight Grand Cross of theOrder of Orange-Nassau | Netherlands | 30 April 1965 | Elevated from Commander (30 September 1952) |
 | Commander of theOrder of the Netherlands Lion | Netherlands | 19 February 1972 | Elevated from Knight (31 August 1946) |
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Office established | Leader of the Freedom Party 1946–1948 | Succeeded by Office discontinued |
| Chairman of the Freedom Party 1946–1948 | ||
| Preceded by Office established | Chairman of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 1948 | Succeeded by |
| Deputy Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 1948–1952 | Succeeded by | |
| Succeeded by | ||
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Minister of Foreign Affairs 1948–1952 | Succeeded by |
| Diplomatic posts | ||
| Preceded by | Ambassador of theNetherlands to the United Kingdom 1952–1958 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Permanent Representative of theNetherlands toNATO 1958–1961 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Secretary General of NATO 1961–1964 | Succeeded by |
| Business positions | ||
| Unknown | CFO ofHeineken N.V. 1935–1948 | Unknown |
| Preceded by Office established | Chairman of the Employers association 1945–1948 | Succeeded by |
