Dirk Stikker facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dirk Stikker GCVO
Dirk Stikker in 1964
3rd Secretary 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 to NATO and the OECD
In office 15 June 1958 – 21 April 1961
Preceded by	Eelco van Kleffens
Succeeded by	Hugo Scheltema
Ambassador of the Netherlands 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	Catharine van der Scheer ​ (m. 1922)​
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 Stikker (born February 5, 1897 – died December 23, 1979) was an important Dutch politician and diplomat. He was known for being a great manager and negotiator. Stikker also helped start several political parties in the Netherlands. He holds the special title of being the first Secretary General of NATO from the Netherlands.

Dirk Stikker's Life Story

Early Life and Business Career

Dirk Stikker was born in Winschoten, a town in the Netherlands. He studied law at the University of Groningen. After finishing his studies, he started working in banking.

In 1935, he became a director at Heineken International, the famous beer company. He worked there until 1948. After World War II, he helped create the Stichting van de Arbeid (Dutch Labour Foundation). This foundation helped set up rules for workers and employers in the Netherlands after the war.

Entering Politics

After World War II ended, Dirk Stikker became a Member of the Senate in the Dutch Parliament in 1945. This was his first step into politics.

In 1946, he helped start a new political group called the Freedom Party. He became its leader. Later, in 1948, this party joined with another group to form the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). The VVD is still a very important political party in the Netherlands today. Stikker became the first chairman of this new party.

Dirk Stikker's Political Roles

Minister of Foreign Affairs

In 1948, Stikker became the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Netherlands. This meant he was in charge of how the Netherlands dealt with other countries. He held this job until 1952.

During his time as minister, the Netherlands played a big part in creating two important international groups:

• NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization): This is a military alliance for defense.
• European Coal and Steel Community: This group helped bring European countries closer together through trade. It was a step towards the European Union.

Ambassador and Representative

After being a minister, Stikker continued his work in international relations.

• From 1952 to 1958, he was the Dutch Ambassador to the United Kingdom. An ambassador is a country's official representative in another country.
• From 1958 to 1961, he was the Netherlands' main representative to NATO and the OECD. The OECD helps countries work together on economic issues.

Secretary General of NATO

In 1961, Dirk Stikker was chosen to be the Secretary General of NATO. This is a very important leadership role in the NATO alliance. He was the third person to hold this position. He served as Secretary General from April 1961 until August 1964. He had to step down due to health reasons.

Later Life and Legacy

After retiring from his role at NATO, Stikker continued to be involved in many important organizations. He served on the boards of various companies and non-profit groups. He was also a strong supporter of European integration, which means working to bring European countries closer together.

Dirk Stikker passed away in 1979 at the age of 82 in Wassenaar, Netherlands.

Awards and Honors

Dirk Stikker received many awards and honors from different countries for his important work.

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	Elevated from Commander (30 September 1952)
	Commander of the Order of the Netherlands Lion	Netherlands	19 February 1972	Elevated from Knight (31 August 1946)

Images for kids

• 

  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.