Dirk Stikker

Dirk Stikker
Born	Template:Birth date Winschoten, Netherlands
Died	December 23, 1979(1979-12-23) (aged 82) Wassenaar, Netherlands
Occupation(s)	Politician, diplomat, businessman
Known for	First Dutch Secretary General of NATO, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands

Dirk Uipko Stikker (5 February 1897 – 23 December 1979) was a prominent Dutch figure known for his roles in politics, diplomacy, and business. He was instrumental in founding the now-obsolete Freedom Party (PvdV) and later the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). Celebrated for his expertise in leadership and negotiation, Stikker became the first Dutch Secretary General of NATO. He continued to influence political discourse until his passing.

Early life

Stikker was born in Winschoten and pursued legal studies at the University of Groningen. His professional journey began in banking. By 1935, he had assumed the role of director at Heineken International, a position he maintained until 1948. In 1945, he played a pivotal part in establishing the Stichting van de Arbeid (Dutch Labour Foundation), which laid the groundwork for post-war collective bargaining practices in the Netherlands.

Career

Between 1922 and 1926, Stikker served as an accountant at the Twentsche Bank, advancing to branch director from 1926 to 1928, and then regional manager from 1928 to 1935. On 1 July 1935, he joined the board of directors at Heineken N.V., ultimately becoming chairman from 1940 through 1948. Following World War II, Queen Wilhelmina appointed him to the Senate on 20 November 1945.

After the Liberal State Party was renamed in 1946, Stikker co-founded and led the Freedom Party. In 1948, when this party merged into the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), he became its inaugural chairman.

Following the elections of 1948, VVD leader Pieter Oud recommended Stikker for the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Cabinet Drees–Van Schaik, commencing on 7 August 1948. He retained this role through the formation of Cabinet Drees I on 15 March 1951. In February 1952, Stikker declared he would not seek re-election and vacated his post when Cabinet Drees II was established on 2 September 1952.

Subsequently, Stikker served as Ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1952 until 1958 before taking on duties as Permanent Representative to both NATO and the OECD. In April 1961, he was appointed NATO Secretary General, a position he held until August 1964.

Upon retiring from active politics, Stikker occupied several corporate and nonprofit board positions, including supervisory roles at Unilever, Van Lanschot, and DSM. He remained an advocate for European integration and contributed to commissions related to both the European Economic Community and Dutch government inquiries.

Politics

Stikker’s political career began in 1945 with his membership in the Senate within the States General. On 23 March 1946, alongside former members of the pre-war Liberale Staatspartij (LSP), he co-established the Partij van de Vrijheid (PvdV, Freedom Party). This party later merged into the Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie (VVD, People's Party for Freedom and Democracy) on 24 January 1948, where Stikker assumed its first chairmanship.

Minister of Foreign Affairs

In 1948, Stikker was appointed as minister of foreign affairs in Willem Drees’s initial cabinet and served until 1951. He resigned on 23 January 1951 after his party passed a no-confidence motion concerning colonial policies related to New Guinea, an event that precipitated the government's collapse. However, he returned to this ministerial role within two months. During his time in office, the Netherlands was instrumental in founding both NATO and the European Coal and Steel Community, key institutions fostering European economic collaboration and security.

Ambassador

Following his tenure as minister, Stikker was appointed as the Dutch ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1952 until 1958. Subsequently, he led the Dutch Permanent Representation to both the North Atlantic Council and the Organization for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC), which later evolved into the OECD, serving in this capacity from 1958 to 1961.

Secretary General of NATO

On 21 April 1961, Stikker took over from Paul-Henri Spaak as NATO’s third Secretary General. He stepped down from this position on 1 August 1964 due to health concerns.

Personal

In recognition of his achievements, Stikker was awarded an honorary doctorate by Brown University in 1964. He died in Wassenaar in 1979 at the age of 82.

Decorations

Honours
Ribbon bar	Honour	Country	Date	Comment
	Grand Cross of the Order of the Oak Crown	Luxembourg	29 April 1949
	Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown	Belgium	15 September 1950
	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire	United Kingdom	30 May 1951
	Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order	United Kingdom	24 December 1958
	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit	Italy	9 September 1961
	Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour	France	1 June 1962
	Grand Cross of the Order of the Phoenix	Greece	18 November 1962
	Grand Cross 1st Class of the Order of Merit	Germany	23 May 1963
	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau	Netherlands	30 April 1965	Promoted from Commander (30 September 1952)
	Commander of the Order of the Netherlands Lion	Netherlands	19 February 1972	Promoted from Knight (31 August 1946)