Editing Dirk Stikker

{{short description|Dutch politician and diplomat (1897–1979)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-suffix    = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|GCVO|GBE}}
| name                = Dirk Stikker
| image               = Stikker, Dirk - SFA002019718 (cropped).jpg
| imagesize           = 
| caption             = Stikker in 1964
| office              = 3rd [[Secretary General of NATO]]
| term_start          = 21 April 1961
| term_end            = 1 August 1964
| predecessor         = [[Paul-Henri Spaak]]
| successor           = [[Manlio Brosio]]
| office1             = Permanent Representative of the <br/> [[Netherlands]] to [[NATO]] and the [[OECD]]
| term_start1         = 15 June 1958
| term_end1           = 21 April 1961
| predecessor1        = [[Eelco van Kleffens]]
| successor1          = [[Hugo Scheltema]]
| office2             = Ambassador of the [[Netherlands]] <br/> to the United Kingdom
| term_start2         = 10 September 1952
| term_end2           = 15 June 1958
| predecessor2        = [[Edgar Michiels van Verduynen|Edgar Michiels <br/> van Verduynen]]
| successor2          = [[Herman van Roijen]]
| office3             = [[List of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands|Minister of Foreign Affairs]]
| term_start3         = 7 August 1948
| term_end3           = 2 September 1952
| primeminister3      = [[Willem Drees]]
| predecessor3        = [[Pim van Boetzelaer van Oosterhout|Pim van Boetzelaer <br/> van Oosterhout]]
| successor3          = [[Johan Beyen]]
| office4             = [[Chair of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy|Chairman of the People's Party <br/> for Freedom and Democracy]]
| term_start4         = 28 January 1948
| term_end4           = 7 August 1948
| leader4             = [[Pieter Oud]]
| predecessor4        = ''Office established''
| successor4          = [[Pieter Oud]]
| office5             = [[Freedom Party (Netherlands)|Leader of the Freedom Party]]
| term_start5         = 23 March 1946
| term_end5           = 28 January 1948
| leader5             = ''Himself''
| predecessor5        = ''Office established''
| successor5          = ''Office discontinued''
| office6             = [[Freedom Party (Netherlands)|Chairman of the Freedom Party]]
| term_start6         = 23 March 1946
| term_end6           = 28 January 1948
| leader6             = ''Himself''
| predecessor6        = ''Office established''
| successor6          = ''Office discontinued''
| office7             = [[Senate (Netherlands)|Member of the Senate]]
| term_start7         = 20 November 1945
| term_end7           = 7 August 1948
| parliamentarygroup7 = [[People's Party for Freedom and Democracy|People's Party for <br/> Freedom and Democracy]] <br/> <small>(1948)</small> <br/> [[Freedom Party (Netherlands)|Freedom Party]] <br/> <small>(1946–1948)</small> <br/> [[Liberal State Party]] <br/> <small>(1945–1946)</small>
| birthname           = Dirk Uipko Stikker
| birth_date          = {{Birth date|df=y|1897|02|05}}
| birth_place         = [[Winschoten]], Netherlands
| death_date          = {{Death date and age|df=y|1979|12|23|1897|02|05}}
| death_place         = [[Wassenaar]], Netherlands
| nationality         = Dutch
| party               = [[People's Party for Freedom and Democracy|People's Party for <br/> Freedom and Democracy]] <br/> <small>(from 1948)</small>
| otherparty          = [[Freedom Party (Netherlands)|Freedom Party]] <br/> <small>(1946–1948)</small> <br/> [[Liberal State Party]] <br/> <small>(1945–1946)</small>
| spouse              = {{marriage|Catharine van der Scheer|2 May 1922<!--|23 December 1979|reason=his death-->}}
| children            = Uipko Dirk Stikker (born 1924) <br/> Allerd Stikker (born 1928)
| residence           = 
| alma_mater          = [[University of Groningen]] <br/> <small>([[Bachelor of Laws]], [[Master of Laws]])</small>
| occupation          = Politician · Diplomat · civil servant · Businessman · Banker · [[Board of directors|Corporate director]] · [[Nonprofit organization|Nonprofit director]] · [[Trade association]] executive
| signature           = 
| website             = 
}}

'''Dirk Uipko Stikker''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|GCVO|GBE}} (5 February 1897&nbsp;– 23 December 1979) was a Dutch politician and diplomat of the defunct [[Liberal State Party]] (LSP), co-founder of the defunct [[Freedom Party (Netherlands)|Freedom Party]] (PvdV) and of the [[People's Party for Freedom and Democracy]] (VVD), and businessman. Stikker was known for his abilities as a manager and [[Negotiation|negotiator]]. 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://resources.huygens.knaw.nl/bwn1880-2000/lemmata/bwn2/stikker|title=Stikker, Dirk Uipko (1897–1979)|publisher=Huygens ING|date=12 November 2013|access-date=21 April 2019|language=nl}}</ref>

==Biography==
===Early life===
Born in [[Winschoten]], he studied law at the [[University of Groningen]]. After his studies he began a career in the banking sector. In 1935, he became the director of [[Heineken International]], the famous beer company. He held this post until 1948. In 1945, he was among the organizers of the [[Stichting van de Arbeid]] (Dutch Labour Foundation), thus helping to lay the foundation for post-war [[collective bargaining]] in the [[Netherlands]].

==Career==
From 1922 until 1926, Stikker worked as an accountant for the [[:nl:Twentsche Bank|Twentsche Bank]], and then as Director of a [[Branch (banking)|branch]] 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 for [[Heineken N.V.]] from 1 July 1935 until 1 August 1948 and as chairman of that board from 1940 until 1948. Following the end of [[Netherlands in World War II|World War II]], [[Wilhelmina of the Netherlands|Queen Wilhelmina]] ordered a [[Recall of Parliament]] and Stikker became a [[Senate (Netherlands)|Member of the Senate]] taking the place of the deceased [[Samuel 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 the [[Freedom Party (Netherlands)|Leader of the Freedom Party]] and [[Freedom Party (Netherlands)|Chairman]]. On 24 January 1948, the Freedom Party (PvdV) and the ''[[Pieter Oud|Committee-Oud]]''  merged to form the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). Stikker was one of the co-founders and became the first [[Chair of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy|Chairman of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy]].

After [[1948 Dutch general election|election of 1948]] the [[Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy]] and [[Parliamentary leader]] of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy in the House of Representatives [[Pieter Oud]] opted to remain in the House of Representatives instead of accepting a ministerial post in the new [[Drees–Van Schaik cabinet|Cabinet Drees–Van Schaik]] and endorsed Stikker who had been serving as the [[Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy#Deputy Leaders|Deputy Leader]] as [[List of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands|Minister of Foreign Affairs]], taking office on 7 August 1948. The [[Drees–Van Schaik cabinet|Cabinet Drees–Van Schaik]] fell on 24 January 1951 and was replaced by the [[First Drees cabinet|Cabinet 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 the [[1952 Dutch general election|election of 1952]]. The [[First Drees cabinet|Cabinet Drees I]] was succeeded by the [[Second Drees cabinet|Cabinet 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 to [[NATO]] and the [[OECD]]. In April 1961 Stikker was nominated as the next [[Secretary 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 [[1948 Dutch general election|election of 1948]] the [[Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy]] and [[Parliamentary leader]] of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy in the House of Representatives [[Pieter Oud]] opted to remain in the House of Representatives instead of accepting a ministerial post in the new [[Drees–Van Schaik cabinet|Cabinet Drees–Van Schaik]] and endorsed Stikker who had been serving as the [[Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy#Deputy Leaders|Deputy Leader]] as [[List of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands|Minister of Foreign Affairs]], taking office on 7 August 1948. The [[Drees–Van Schaik cabinet|Cabinet Drees–Van Schaik]] fell on 24 January 1951 and was replaced by the [[First Drees cabinet|Cabinet 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 the [[1952 Dutch general election|election of 1952]]. The [[First Drees cabinet|Cabinet Drees I]] was succeeded by the [[Second Drees cabinet|Cabinet 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 to [[NATO]] and the [[OECD]]. In April 1961 Stikker was nominated as the next [[Secretary 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 (Netherlands)|Carnegie Foundation]], [[Trilateral Commission]] and the [[DSM (company)|DSM Company]]) and as an advocate and lobbyist for [[European integration]] and serving on several commissions for the [[European Economic Community]] and [[:nl:Staatscommissie|state commissions]] on behalf of the Dutch government. He served as the [[Secretary General of NATO]] from 21 April 1961 until 1 August 1964.

==Politics==
[[File:Stikker, Dirk - SFA002019719.jpg|thumb|left|220px|[[Vice President of Indonesia|Vice President]] and [[Prime Minister of Indonesia]] [[Mohammad Hatta]] and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dirk Stikker during a meeting in [[The Hague]] on 25 August 1949.]]

Stikker entered politics in 1945, when he was elected to the [[Senate of the Netherlands|Senate]] of the [[Netherlands States-General|States General]]. On 23 March 1946, he co-founded the [[Partij van de Vrijheid]] (PvdV, Freedom Party), together with some former members of the pre-war [[Liberale Staatspartij]] (LSP, Liberal State Party). On 24 January 1948, the PvdV was absorbed by the [[Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie]] ([[VVD]], Peoples Party for Freedom and Democracy), which is {{As of|2022|lc=on}} the country's most important Liberal party. Stikker was the VVD's first chairman.

===Minister of Foreign Affairs===
In 1948, Stikker became [[Foreign minister|minister of foreign affairs]] in the first government led by [[Willem Drees]], holding that position until 1951. After his party adopted a [[Motion of No Confidence|no-confidence motion]] over the government's [[Colonialism|colonial policy]] in [[New 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 of [[NATO]] and the [[European Coal and Steel Community]] during Stikker's time in office as minister of foreign affairs.

===Ambassador===
After his ministerial office, Stikker was [[List of Ambassadors and High Commissioners to the United Kingdom|ambassador to the United Kingdom]] (1952–1958) and head of the Dutch Permanent Representation to the [[North Atlantic Council]] and to the Organization for European Economic Co-operation, the predecessor of the [[OECD]] (1958–1961).

===Secretary General of NATO===
On 21 April 1961 he succeeded [[Paul-Henri Spaak]] to become the [[List of NATO Secretaries General#Secretaries General|third Secretary General of NATO]]. He resigned due to poor health on 1 August 1964.

==Personal==
In 1964, Stikker was awarded an honorary doctorate by [[Brown University]]. He died in [[Wassenaar]] in 1979, aged 82.

==Further reading==
* Wilsford, David, ed. ''Political leaders of contemporary Western Europe: a biographical dictionary'' (Greenwood, 1995) pp.&nbsp;427–32.

==Decorations==
{| class="wikitable" style="width:60%;"
|- style="background:#ccf; text-align:center;"
| colspan=5 |'''Honours'''
|-
! style="width:80px;"| Ribbon bar !! Honour !! Country !! Date !! Comment
|-
| [[File:Ordre de la couronne de Chene GC ribbon.svg|80px]]
| [[Grand Cross]] of the [[Order of the Oak Crown]]
| [[Luxembourg]]
| 29 April 1949
| 
|-
| [[File:BEL Kroonorde Grootkruis BAR.svg|80px]] 
| [[Grand Cross]] of the [[Order of the Crown (Belgium)|Order of the Crown]]
| [[Belgium]]
| 15 September 1950
| 
|-
| [[File:Order of the British Empire (Civil) Ribbon.png|80px]]
| [[Grand Cross|Knight Grand Cross]] of the [[Order of the British Empire]]
| United Kingdom
| 30 May 1951
| 
|-
| [[File:UK Royal Victorian Order honorary member ribbon.svg|80px]]
| [[Grand Cross|Knight Grand Cross]] of the [[Royal Victorian Order]]
| United Kingdom
| 24 December 1958
| 
|-
| [[File:Cordone di gran Croce OMRI BAR.svg|80px]]
| [[Grand Cross|Knight Grand Cross]] of the [[Order of Merit of the Italian Republic|Order of Merit]]
| Italy
| 9 September 1961
| 
|-
| [[File:Legion Honneur GC ribbon.svg|80px]]
| [[Grand Cross]] of the [[Legion of Honour]]
| France
| 1 June 1962
| 
|-
| [[File:GRE Order of the Phoenix - Grand Cross BAR.png|80px]]
| [[Grand Cross]] of the [[Order of the Phoenix (Greece)|Order of the Phoenix]]
| [[Greece]]
| 18 November 1962
| 
|-
| [[File:GER Bundesverdienstkreuz 7 Grosskreuz.svg|80px]] 
| [[Grand Cross]] 1st Class of the [[Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany|Order of Merit]]
| Germany
| 23 May 1963
| 
|-
| [[File:Order of Orange-Nassau ribbon - Knight Grand Cross.svg|80px]]
| [[Grand Cross|Knight Grand Cross]] of the [[Order of Orange-Nassau]]
| Netherlands
| 30 April 1965
| <small>Elevated from Commander (30 September 1952)</small>
|-
| [[File:NLD Order of the Dutch Lion - Commander BAR.png|80px]]
| [[Order (distinction)|Commander]] of the [[Order of the Netherlands Lion]]
| Netherlands
| 19 February 1972
| <small>Elevated from Knight (31 August 1946)</small>
|-
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}

;Official
* {{in lang|nl}} [https://www.parlement.com/id/vg09ll9dv7w5/d_u_dirk_stikker Mr. D.U. (Dirk) Stikker] Parlement & Politiek
* {{in lang|nl}} [https://www.eerstekamer.nl/persoon/mr_d_u_stikker_vvd Mr. D.U. Stikker (VVD)] Eerste Kamer der Staten-Generaal

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{{NATOSecGens}}
{{Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands}}
{{First Drees cabinet}}
{{Drees–Van Schaik cabinet}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stikker, Dirk}}
[[Category:1897 births]]
[[Category:1979 deaths]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of the Netherlands to the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Chairmen of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy]]
[[Category:Cold War diplomats]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of the Netherlands Lion]]
[[Category:Dutch bankers]]
[[Category:Van Lanschot Kempen people]]
[[Category:Dutch chief executives in the finance industry]]
[[Category:Dutch corporate directors]]
[[Category:Dutch nonprofit directors]]
[[Category:Dutch male badminton players]]
[[Category:Dutch trade association executives]]
[[Category:Dutch people of World War II]]
[[Category:Dutch political party founders]]
[[Category:Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses 1st class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of the Crown (Belgium)]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of the Phoenix (Greece)]]
[[Category:Heineken people]]
[[Category:Members of the Senate (Netherlands)]]
[[Category:Ministers of foreign affairs of the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Secretaries general of NATO]]
[[Category:Liberal State Party politicians]]
[[Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau]]
[[Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic]]
[[Category:Permanent representatives of the Netherlands to NATO]]
[[Category:Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order]]
[[Category:People from Winschoten]]
[[Category:People from Wassenaar]]
[[Category:People's Party for Freedom and Democracy politicians]]
[[Category:Freedom Party (Netherlands) politicians]]
[[Category:University of Groningen alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century Dutch businesspeople]]
[[Category:20th-century Dutch civil servants]]
[[Category:20th-century Dutch diplomats]]
[[Category:20th-century Dutch politicians]]
[[Category:20th-century Dutch sportsmen]]