Josephus Antonius van Kemenade (6 March 1937 – 19 February 2020) was a Dutch politician of the Labour Party (PvdA) and sociologist. He was granted the honorary title of Minister of State on 5 April 2002.[1]
Life and career
Van Kemenade was born in Amsterdam. He attended a Gymnasium in Amsterdam from June 1949 until 1955 and applied at the Radboud University Nijmegen in June 1955 majoring in Sociology and obtaining a Bachelor of Social Science degree in June 1957 and worked as a student researcher before graduating with a Master of Social Science degree in May 1960. Van Kemenade worked as a researcher at the Radboud University Nijmegen from May 1960 until January 1965 and was director of the ITS Nijmegen from 1 January 1965 until 11 May 1973. Van Kemenade returned to the Radboud University Nijmegen in July 1964 for a postgraduate education in sociology where he got a doctorate as a Doctor of Philosophy in sociology on 10 May 1968. Van Kemenade worked as a professor of pedagogy at the Radboud University Nijmegen from 1 January 1970 until 11 May 1973.
After the election of 1972 Van Kemenade was appointed as minister of education and sciences in the Cabinet Den Uyl, taking office on 11 May 1973. The Cabinet Den Uyl fell on 22 March 1977 and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity. Van Kemenade was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives after the election of 1977, taking office on 8 June 1977 but he was still serving in the cabinet, and because of dualism customs in the constitutional convention of Dutch politics, he couldn't serve a dual mandate so he subsequently resigned as a Member of the House of Representatives on 8 September 1977. The Cabinet Den Uyl was replaced by the Cabinet Van Agt–Wiegel following the cabinet formation of 1977 on 11 May 1973 and he subsequently returned as Member of the House of Representatives after the resignation of Frits Niessen, taking office on 16 January 1978 serving as a frontbencher and spokesperson for Education, Science and Technology. Van Kemenade also returned as a distinguished professor of Pedagogy at the University of Groningen from 1 May 1978 until 11 September 1981. After the election of 1981 Van Kemenade was again appointed as Minister of Education and Sciences in the Cabinet Van Agt II, taking office on 11 September 1981. The Cabinet Van Agt II fell just seven months into its term on 12 May 1982 and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity until it was replaced by the caretakerCabinet Van Agt III on 29 May 1982. After the election of 1982 Van Kemenade again returned as a Member of the House of Representatives, taking office on 16 September 1982 serving as a frontbencher chairing the parliamentary committee on Education and Science and the parliamentary committee on Kingdom Relations. Van Kemenade also returned as a distinguished professor of Pedagogy at the University of Amsterdam from 1 July 1982 until 1 September 1984.
Van Kemenade was known for his abilities as a consensus builder and policy wonk. Van Kemenade died on 19 February 2020.[3] He continued to comment on political affairs as a statesman until his death.
