Johannes Meynen
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() (politician) | |
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Born | 13 April 1901 |
Died | 13 February 1980 (Age 78) |
Nationality | Dutch |
Alma mater | Free University of Amsterdam |
Member of | Bilderberg/Steering committee |
Party | Anti-Revolutionary Party |
Johannes (Jo) Meynen was a Dutch politician and defence minister. Meynen was a friend of Prince Bernhard and a member of the Bilderberg Steering Committee.
Contents
Education
Meynen, the son of a preacher, attended the public gymnasium in Dordrecht, and then began studying law at the Free University of Amsterdam in 1920, which he completed in March 1926. At the same time, between July 1920 and 1925, he also completed training as a reserve officer at the Reserve Officer School of the Infantry SROI (School for Reserve Officers Infantry), which he graduated in 1925 as a sub-lieutenant. He also was rector of the Student Corps of the Free University of Amsterdam between 1924 and 1925.
Early career
Meynen began his professional activity in 1927 as vice secretary of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Arnhem and the surrounding area and then head of the sales department of the European office of the US chemical and ammunition manufacturer Hercules Powder Company between 1928 and 1930, before he was deputy Managing Director of the European office of the Hercules Powder Company between 1930 and 1940. He was also promoted to first lieutenant of the reserve in January 1931. He was director of Philips N. V. between 1940 and 1944, involved in the resistance[1], and then, from 1944 to 1945, as a major in the reserve, he was on the staff of the commander of the Dutch Armed Forces.[2]
Post-war career
After the end of the German occupation, Meynen became acting Secretary General of the Ministry of War shortly before the end of the Second World War in April 1945. Subsequently, on 25 June 1945, he was appointed by Prime Minister Willem Schermerhorn to the Schermerhorn/Drees Cabinet, where he held the post of Minister of War until 3 July 1946. He was the only minister of the Anti-Revolutionary Party(ARP) in this government and was largely responsible for sending troops to the Dutch East Indies.[3]
After leaving the government, Meynen returned to business and was first vice chairman of the board between October 7, 1946 and 1948, and then chairman of the board of the synthetic fiber manufacturer Algemeene Kunstzijde Unie N.V. (AKU) from 1948 to May 1, 1960, until 1962 acting chairman. He was Vice Chairman of the Board of AKU from June 1, 1966 to May 1, 1971, which bore the new name AKZO after a merger in 1969.
Meynen, who was very influential, was a commissioner at Amrobank and De Nederlandsche Bank. He was a friend of Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, president of a Bilderberg Conference, and knight in the charitable Order of Saint John of Jerusalem.
Family
His marriage to Nelia Laura "Nelly" Westerhuis in Arnhem on 23 September 1930 produced two sons and three daughters.
Events Participated in
Event | Start | End | Location(s) | Description |
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Bilderberg/1963 | 29 March 1963 | 31 March 1963 | France Cannes Hotel Martinez | The 12th Bilderberg meeting and the second one in France. |
Bilderberg/1964 | 20 March 1964 | 22 March 1964 | US Virginia Williamsburg | A year after this meeting, the post of GATT/Director-General was set up, and given Eric Wyndham White, who attended the '64 meeting. Several subsequent holders have been Bilderberg insiders, only 2 are not known to have attended the group. |
Bilderberg/1965 | 2 April 1965 | 4 April 1965 | Italy Villa d'Este | The 14th Bilderberg meeting, held in Italy |
Bilderberg/1966 | 25 March 1966 | 27 March 1966 | Germany Wiesbaden Hotel Nassauer Hof | Top of the agenda of the 15th Bilderberg in Wiesbaden, Germany, was the restructuring of NATO. Since this discussion was held, all permanent holders of the position of NATO Secretary General have attended at least one Bilderberg conference prior to their appointment. |
Bilderberg/1967 | 31 March 1967 | 2 April 1967 | St John's College (Cambridge) UK England | Possibly the only Bilderberg meeting held in a university college rather than a hotel (St. John's College, Cambridge) |
Bilderberg/1969 | 9 May 1969 | 11 May 1969 | Denmark Hotel Marienlyst Elsinore | The 18th Bilderberg meeting, with 85 participants |
Bilderberg/1970 | 17 April 1970 | 19 April 1970 | Switzerland Hotel Quellenhof Bad Ragaz | the 19th Bilderberg meeting, in Switzerland. |
Bilderberg/1972 | 21 April 1972 | 23 April 1972 | Belgium Hotel La Reserve Knokke | The 21st Bilderberg, 102 guests. It spawned the Trilateral Commission. |