Jo Cals

Jo Cals
41st Prime Minister of the Netherlands
In office April 14, 1965 – November 22, 1966
Monarch	Juliana
Preceded by	Victor Marijnen
Succeeded by	Jelle Zijlstra
Member of the House of Representatives
In office July 2, 1963 – April 14, 1965
Minister of Education, Culture and Science
In office September 2, 1952 – July 24, 1963
Prime Minister	Willem Drees (1952–1958) Louis Beel (1958–1959) Jan de Quay (1959–1963)
Preceded by	Theo Rutten
Succeeded by	Theo Bot
Member of the House of Representatives
In office March 20, 1959 – May 19, 1959
Member of the House of Representatives
In office July 3, 1956 – October 3, 1956
State Secretary for Education, Culture and Science
In office March 15, 1950 – September 2, 1952
Prime Minister	Willem Drees
Succeeded by	Anna de Waal
Member of the House of Representatives
In office August 19, 1948 – March 15, 1950
Personal details
Born	Jozef Maria Laurens Theo Cals July 18, 1914 Roermond, Netherlands
Died	December 30, 1971 (aged 57) The Hague, Netherlands
Nationality	Dutch
Political party	Catholic People's Party (from 1945)
Other political affiliations	Roman-Catholic State Party (until 1945)
Spouse(s)	Truus van der Heijden (1915–1982)
Children	5
Alma mater	Radboud University Nijmegen (LL.M.)
Occupation	Politician Civil Servant Corporate director Jurist Lawyer Teacher
Religion	Roman Catholic

Jozef Maria Laurens Theo "Jo" Cals (July 18, 1914 – December 30, 1971) was a Dutch politician of the defunct Catholic People's Party (KVP) now merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA). He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from April 14, 1965 until November 22, 1966.

He previously served as a Member of the House of Representatives from August 19, 1948 until March 15, 1950, when he became State Secretary for Education, Culture and Science serving from March 15, 1950 until September 2, 1952 in the Cabinets Drees-Van Schaik and Drees I. He became Minister of Education, Culture and Science serving from September 2, 1952 until July 24, 1963 in the Cabinets Drees II, III, Beel II and De Quay. He again returned to the House of Representatives for two short periods, after the Dutch general election of 1956 and 1959. Serving from July 3, 1956 until October 3, 1956 and from March 20, 1959 until May 19, 1959. And again a Member of the House of Representatives from July 2, 1963 until April 14, 1965. After the fall of the Cabinet Marijnen, Cals became Prime Minister of the Netherlands, leading the Cabinet Cals.^[1]

After his premiership, Cals semi-retired from active politics and served as a civil servant leading several governmental commissions.^[2] On December 5, 1966 he was granted the honorary title of Minister of State, which he held until his death.

Biography

Early life

Jo Cals as Minister of Education, Culture and Science during a meeting of the House of Representatives in 1961.

Jo Cals as the inauguration of his Cabinet in 1965.

Jozef Maria Laurens Theo Cals was born in Roermond on July 18, 1914. After completing his secondary education in his home town, he studied for the priesthood in Rolduc. In 1935, however, he interrupted his theological training to study law at the Radboud University Nijmegen, after graduating in 1940 he practiced law in that same city up until 1950, in the meantime also teaching economics at his old secondary school in Roermond.

Politics

In 1945 Cals became leader of the Catholic People's Party in Nijmegen municipal council till 1946. He was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives in 1948. From March 15, 1950 to September 2, 1952 he was State Secretary for Education, Culture and Science serving from March 15, 1950 until September 2, 1952 in the Cabinets Drees-Van Schaik and Drees I. He became Minister of Education, Culture and Science serving from September 2, 1952 until July 24, 1963 in the Cabinets Drees II, III, Beel II and De Quay, he helped pass the "Mammoetwet," a law that transformed secondary education. In the debate, he spoke for 6 hours and 50 minutes, setting a record. In 1963, however he returned to the House of Representatives of the Netherlands, alongside his duties there, he was a member of the board of governors of the University of Groningen, chairman of the Arts Council and a member of the Press Council.

In the aftermath of the collapse of the Cabinet Marijnen, Cals became Prime Minister of the Netherlands from April 14, 1965 to November 22, 1966, the Cabinet Cals was suddenly brought down in an attack on its budget, known as the "Night of Schmelzer".

Scouting

Cals was in 1930, just after the foundation as a separate Scouting organisation, one of the first members of De Katholieke Verkenners (The Catholic Scouts). He went in 1933 to the 4th World Scout Jamboree in Gödöllo, Hungary. After the liberation in 1944 of the southern part of the Netherlands he was one of the main forces in rebuilding Catholic Scouting as a separate Scouting movement in the Netherlands. During his second term as Minister of Education, Culture and Science, the State Secretary for Education, Culture and Science was his former Scout Master René Höppener.

Trivia

Between 1968 and 1970, Cals was in charge of the Dutch entry to the Expo '70 in Japan. From 1967 he was chairman of the National Advisory Committee on the amendment of the Constitution.

Cals was a hard worker but this was at the expense of his health, he died from an unspecified neurological disease in the MCH Westeinde hospital in The Hague on December 30, 1971 at the age of 57.^[3]

Decorations

• Order of Orange-Nassau
  • Knight Grand Cross (July 27, 1963)

References

1. (Dutch) Jo Cals Political Heroes
2. (Dutch) Jo Cals De Volkskrant
3. (Dutch) Mr. J. M. L. Th. (Jo) Cals Geschiedenis24

External links

• Mr. J.M.L.Th. Cals (Ministry of General Affairs)
• (Dutch) Mr. J.M.L.Th. (Jo) Cals (Parlement & Politiek)