# Hein Vos

Hendrik "Hein" Vos (5 July 1903 – 23 April 1972) was a Dutch politician of the Social Democratic Workers' Party (SDAP) and later the Labour Party (PvdA) and economist.

## Biography

Vos attended a gymnasium in Heerenveen from April 1917 until May 1921 and applied at the Delft Institute of Technology in June 1921, majoring in Electrical engineering and obtaining a Bachelor of Engineering degree in June 1923 before graduating with a Master of Engineering degree in July 1927. Vos worked as a civil servant for the municipality of Deventer from July 1927 until September 1928 and for the Netherlands Patent Office of the Ministry of Economic Affairs from September 1928 until July 1934. Vos served on the municipal council of Rijswijk from 1 September 1931 until 22 July 1934. Vos worked as a trade union leader for the Dutch Confederation of Trade Unions (NVV) from July 1934 until 8 June 1937 and as the director of the Social Democratic Workers' Party think tank from July 1934 until May 1940. Vos also served as editor-in-chief of the party newspaper Vrijheid, Arbeid en Brood from June 1935 until May 1940. Vos served on the municipal council of Amsterdam from 3 September 1935 until 5 September 1939.
Vos was elected to the House of Representatives in the 1937 general election, taking office on 8 June 1937 serving as a frontbencher and spokesperson for economic affairs. On 10 May 1940 Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands and the government fled to London to escape the German occupation. During the German occupation Vos continued to serve as a Member of the House of Representatives in name only but in reality the de facto political influence of the House of Representatives was marginalized by the German occupation authority.
Following the end of World War II, Queen Wilhelmina ordered the formation of a national unity government to serve in a caretaker capacity until the new election, with Vos appointed as Minister of Commerce and Industry in the Schermerhorn–Drees cabinet, taking office on 25 June 1945. On 9 February 1946, the Social Democratic Workers' Party (SDAP), the Free-thinking Democratic League (VDB) and the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) chose to merge to form the Labour Party (PvdA). After the 1946 general election, Vos returned to the House of Representatives, taking office on 4 June 1946. Following the 1946 cabinet formation, he was appointed as Minister of Transport in the Beel I cabinet, taking office on 3 July 1946. Vos served as acting Minister of Public Works and Reconstruction from 15 November 1946 until 3 March 1947 following the resignation Johan Ringers. On 1 March 1947 the Minister of Transport was renamed as the Minister of Transport and Water Management. After the 1948 general election of, Vos again returned to the House of Representatives, taking office on 27 July 1948. Following the 1948 cabinet formation, Vos was not giving a cabinet post in the new cabinet; the Beel I cabinet was replaced by the Drees–Van Schaik cabinet on 7 August 1948 and Vos continued to serve in the House of Representatives as a frontbencher and spokesperson for economic affairs and small business.
In December 1948 Vos was named as chief executive officer (CEO) of the insurance company NV Centrale Algemene Levensverzekeringsmaatschappij, he resigned from the House of Representatives on 16 December 1948 and was installed as CEO on 1 January 1949. Vos remained in active in national politics, he served as Chairman of the Labour Party from 5 June 1953 until 23 February 1955. Vos was elected to the Senate in the 1956 Senate election, taking office on 6 November 1956 serving as a frontbencher and spokesperson for finances and agriculture. After the 1960 Senate election, Vos was selected as parliamentary leader of the Labour Party, taking office on 15 November 1960. In February 1968 Vos was nominated as a member of the Council of State; he resigned as parliamentary leader and member of the Senate on 16 February 1968 and was installed as a member of the Council of State on 21 February 1968.
Vos was known for his abilities as a manager and "policy wonk". He holds the distinction as the first known LGBT member of the House of Representatives and government minister of the Netherlands, this fact was an open secret in Dutch politics at that time.

## Decorations

Honours :
| Ribbon bar | Honour | Country | Date | Comment |
| | Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion | Netherlands | 31 August 1948 | |
| | Commander of the Order of Orange-Nassau | Netherlands | 30 April 1964 | |