Jan Terlouw

Jan Cornelis Terlouw (born 15 November 1931) is a retired Dutch politician and diplomat of the Democrats 66 (D66) party and physicist and author.

Jan Terlouw
Jan Terlouw in 2014
Member of the Senate
In office 8 June 1999 – 10 June 2003
Parliamentary group	Democrats 66
Queen's Commissioner of Gelderland
In office 1 November 1991 – 1 December 1996
Monarch	Beatrix
Preceded by	Ad Oele (Ad interim)
Succeeded by	Jan Kamminga
Deputy Prime Minister
In office 11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 Serving with Joop den Uyl (1982)
Prime Minister	Dries van Agt
Preceded by	Hans Wiegel
Succeeded by	Gijs van Aardenne
Minister of Economic Affairs
In office 11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982
Prime Minister	Dries van Agt
Preceded by	Gijs van Aardenne
Succeeded by	Gijs van Aardenne
Leader of the Democrats 66
In office 1 September 1973 – 8 September 1982
Deputy	See list Hans van Mierlo (1973–1977) Laurens Jan Brinkhorst (1977–1982)
Preceded by	Hans van Mierlo
Succeeded by	Laurens Jan Brinkhorst
Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives
In office 1 September 1973 – 11 September 1981
Preceded by	Hans van Mierlo
Succeeded by	Laurens Jan Brinkhorst
Parliamentary group	Democrats 66
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 11 May 1971 – 11 September 1981
Parliamentary group	Democrats 66
Personal details
Born	Jan Cornelis Terlouw (1931-11-15) 15 November 1931 Kamperveen, Netherlands
Nationality	Dutch
Political party	Democrats 66 (from 1967)
Spouse(s)	Alexandra van Hulst ​ ( m. 1956; died 2017)
Children	Sanne Terlouw (born 1959) Ashley Terlouw (born 1960) 1 other daughter and 1 son
Residence	Twello, Netherlands
Alma mater	Utrecht University (Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Mathematics, Master of Physics, Master of Mathematics, Doctor of Science)
Occupation	Politician · Diplomat · Civil servant · Nuclear physicist · Astrophysicist · Mathematician · Researcher · Nonprofit director · Political pundit · Screenwriter · Author · Professor
Military service
Allegiance	Netherlands
Branch/service	Royal Netherlands Army
Years of service	1956–1958 (Conscription) 1958–1961 (Reserve)
Rank	Private first class
Battles/wars	Cold War

Terlouw applied at the Utrecht University in June 1948 majoring in Physics and Mathematics and obtaining an Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Mathematics degree's in July 1952 before graduating with an Master of Physics and Master of Mathematics degree's in July 1956. Terlouw was conscripted in the Royal Netherlands Army serving as a Private first class from August 1956 until August 1958. Terlouw worked as a nuclear physics researcher at the Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM) in Amsterdam from November 1958 until 11 May 1971. Terlouw later returned to the Utrecht University for a postgraduate education where worked as a researcher and got a doctorate as an Doctor of Science in Nuclear physics on 1 July 1964. Terlouw also worked as a researcher for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts from February 1960 until April 1962 and for the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm, Sweden from August 1965 until December 1966. Terlouw served on the Municipal Council of Utrecht from April 1970 until May 1971. Terlouw was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives after the election of 1971, taking office on 11 May 1971. After the Leader of the Democrats 66 and Parliamentary leader of the Democrats 66 in the House of Representatives Hans van Mierlo announced he was stepping down as Leader and Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives taking responsibility for the defeat in the election of 1972 and approached Terlouw as his successor, Terlouw accepted and became the Leader and Parliamentary leader on 1 September 1973. For the election of 1977 Terlouw served as Lijsttrekker (top candidate) of the Democrats 66. The Democrats 66 made a small win, gaining 2 seat and now had 8 seats in the House of Representatives. For the election of 1981 Terlouw again served as Lijsttrekker. The Democrats 66 made a large win, gaining 9 seats and now had 17 seats in the House of Representatives. The following cabinet formation of 1981 resulted in a coalition agreement between the Democrats 66, the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) and Labour Party (PvdA) which formed the Cabinet Van Agt II with Terlouw appointed as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Affairs, taking office on 11 September 1981. The Cabinet Van Agt II fell just seven months into its term on 12 May 1982 and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity until it was replaced by the caretaker Cabinet Van Agt III with Terlouw continuing as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Affairs, taking office on 29 May 1982. In July 1982 Terlouw announced that he wouldn't run as Lijsttrekker for the election of 1982 but that he would stand for the election of 1982. Terlouw was approached by the Chairman of the Democrats 66 Jan van Berkom to reconsider his candidacy, Terlouw initially refused but after consultation he accepted and became Lijsttrekker for the election. The Democrats 66 suffered a big loss, losing 11 seats and now had 6 seats in the House of Representatives. Terlouw took responsibility for the defeat and sequentially announced he was stepping down as Leader on 8 September 1982 and didn't take his seat in the House of Representatives. The Cabinet Van Agt III was replaced by the Cabinet Lubbers I following the cabinet formation of 1982 on 4 November 1982.

Terlouw semi-retired from active politics, in December 1982 he was nominated as Secretary-General of the International Transport Forum (ITF) in Paris, France, taking office on 30 January 1983. In October 1991 Terlouw was nominated as the next Queen's Commissioner of Gelderland, he resigned as Secretary-General the same day he was installed as Queen's Commissioner, serving from 1 November 1991 until 1 December 1996. Terlouw also became active in the public sector and occupied numerous seats as a nonprofit director on several boards of directors and supervisory boards (Energy Research Centre, GelreDome, Organisation for Applied Scientific Research, SEO Economic Research, Nikhef and the Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences). Terlouw also served as a distinguished professor of Urbanization at the University of Amsterdam holding the Wibaut Chair from 1 January 1997 until 1 January 2000. Terlouw was elected as a Member of the Senate after the Senate election of 1999, taking office on 8 June 1999 serving as a frontbencher chairing several parliamentary committees. In January 2003 Terlouw announced his retirement from national politics and that he wouldn't stand for the Senate election of 2003 and continued to serve until the end of the parliamentary term on 10 June 2003.

Terlouw retired after spending 32 years in national politics but remained active in the public sector and continued to occupied numerous seats as a nonprofit director on several boards of directors and supervisory boards (Institute of International Relations Clingendael, Netherlands Atlantic Association, Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group, Organisation for Scientific Research, Institute for Advanced Study and the Society for Statistics and Operations Research) and served on several state commissions (Nationaal Comité 4 en 5 mei) and served as an diplomat and lobbyist for several economic delegations on behalf of the government and as an advocate and activist for Conservation, Sustainable development, Animal welfare and European integration. Terlouw also served as a distinguished professor of Literature at the Tilburg University holding the Leonardo Chair from 1 September 2003 until 1 September 2004. Terlouw is also a prolific author, having written more than thirty books since 1970 about Politics, Science, Children's literature, Young adult fiction and Poetry. His 1972 World War II book Winter in Wartime was adopted as a screenplay and released as a feature film in 2008.

Terlouw is known for his abilities as a negotiator and consensus builder. Terlouw continues to comment on political affairs as of 2020 and holds the distinction as the first member of the Democrats 66 party to serve as Queen's Commissioner.

Background

Early life and education

Terlouw was born in Kamperveen, Overijssel and grew up in the Veluwe. He was the eldest son a family of five, having two younger brothers and two sisters.

After high school, Terlouw studied at Utrecht University, where he obtained an MSc degree in mathematics and physics, and a PhD degree in nuclear physics.

Deputy Prime Minister Jan Terlouw and Prime Minister Dries van Agt during a debate in the House of Representatives on 8 June 1982.

Career

After graduating from Utrecht University, he worked as a physics researcher in the Netherlands, the United States, and Sweden.

After working for thirteen years, he became a politician, joining the Dutch House of Representatives (the lower house of the Dutch legislature) as a member of the Democraten 66 political party in 1970

Personal life

Terlouw was married to Alexandra van Hulst until her death on 23 August 2017. Terlouw is a father of four and grandfather of twelve.

Publications

Terlouw wrote 24 children's books, most notably Winter in Wartime (Oorlogswinter, 1972) and How to Become King (Koning van Katoren, 1971), both of which won the Gouden Griffel and have been made into motion pictures directed by Martin Koolhoven.[1][2]

Terlouw's books have been illustrated by various illustrators, including Dick van der Maat, Martijn van der Linden and Fiel van der Veen.

Awards

• 1972 Gouden Griffel for the novel How to Become King
• 1973 Gouden Griffel for the novel Winter in Wartime
• 1990 Prize of the Netherlands Children's Jury for the novel The Figure-skater
• 2000 Prize of the Dutch Joung Jury for Eigen rechter (1988)[3]

Decorations

Honours
Ribbon bar	Honour	Country	Date	Comment
	Commander of the Order of Orange-Nassau	Netherlands	9 December 1982

References

1. "Jan Terlouw: Biography". Dutch Foundation for Literature. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
2. "Jan Terlouw". WorldCat.org. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
3. Eigen rechter (in Dutch). Lemniscaat. 1998. ISBN 978-9056371548.

External links

Official

• (in Dutch) Dr. J.C. (Jan) Terlouw Parlement & Politiek
• (in Dutch) Dr. J.C. Terlouw (D66) Eerste Kamer der Staten-Generaal

Party political offices
Preceded by Hans van Mierlo	Leader of the Democrats 66 1973–1982	Succeeded by Laurens Jan Brinkhorst
	Parliamentary leader of the Democrats 66 in the House of Representatives 1973–1981
Preceded by Hans van Mierlo 1972	Lijsttrekker of the Democrats 66 1977 • 1981 • 1982	Succeeded by Hans van Mierlo 1986
Political offices
Preceded by Hans Wiegel	Deputy Prime Minister 1981–1982 Served alongside: Joop den Uyl	Succeeded by Gijs van Aardenne
Preceded by Gijs van Aardenne	Minister of Economic Affairs 1981–1982
Preceded by Ad Oele Ad interim	Queen's Commissioner of Gelderland 1991–1996	Succeeded by Jan Kamminga
Business positions
Preceded by Unknown	Chairman of the Supervisory board of the GelreDome 1996–2000	Succeeded by Unknown
Non-profit organization positions
Preceded by Gijs van Aardenne	Chairman of the Supervisory board of the Energy Research Centre 1995–2005	Succeeded by Ruud Lubbers
Academic offices
Preceded by Annemieke Roobeek	Distinguished Professor Wibaut Chair of the University of Amsterdam 1997–1999	Succeeded by Geert Mak
Preceded by Leo Vroman	Distinguished Professor Leonardo Chair of the Tilburg University 2003–2004	Succeeded by Ted van Lieshout