Jan de Quay
Jan Eduard de Quay (August 26, 1901 in 's-Hertogenbosch – July 4, 1985 in Beers) was a Dutch politician of the Catholic People's Party (KVP).
De Quay studied psychology at Utrecht University and was a professor at Tilburg University.
During the beginning of World War II - from 1940 to 1941 - he was one of the three leaders of the Dutch Union ("Nederlandsche Unie"). This political movement wanted to unite the Dutch people considering the changed situation due to the German occupation. In December 1941 the Dutch Union was forbidden by the Germans.
From mid 1942 to mid 1943 the German occupier imprisoned him in Kamp Sint-Michielsgestel. Afterwards he went in hiding in the south of the Netherlands till the liberation of that part of the country in 1944.
Around the end of the war he was defense minister for a couple of months. Because of his wartime activities (prime) minister Willem Drees didn't want him to include in his cabinets.
Because of this he was queen's commissioner of the province of North Brabant from 1946 to 1959.
In 1959 he returned to national politics as prime minister of the De Quay cabinet. It consisted of the three Christian parties (Anti-Revolutionary Party, Catholic People's Party and Christian Historical Union) and the conservative liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy. The cabinet lasted till 1963.
Three years later, he became transport and water management minister and also deputy prime minister in the Zijlstra cabinet. This government lasted only a year.
In the meantime he was a senator (1963-1966) and also afterwards (1967-1969).
De Quay was a Roman Catholic. He died in 1985, aged 83.
References
change- (in Dutch) Bio at Parlement.com
