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Dr. L.J.M. Beel
Beel government I, II
(1946 - 1948)
(1958 - 1959)
Louis Joseph Maria Beel was born in Roermond on 12 April 1902. After
completing his secondary education, he immediately went to work in the
office of the town clerk in his home town. In 1924 he became secretary to
Mgr P.J.M. Gils, the first diocesan inspector of Catholic primary schools in
Limburg. In the same year, Mr Beel also enrolled to study law at the
University of Nijmegen.
In 1925 he obtained a post in the Provincial Secretariat of Overijssel. After graduating in 1928, he went to work in 1929 in the office of the town clerk in Eindhoven, where he was eventually appointed deputy to the town clerk in 1934.
In 1935 he was awarded a doctorate for his thesis entitled 'Self-government or dependent decentralisation?'.
In 1942 Dr Beel resigned from the Municipality of Eindhoven and began a home-based consultancy in administrative law.
From 23 February 1945 he was Minister of the Interior in the second Gerbrandy administration and the Schermerhorn-Drees government. From 3 July 1947 to 7 August 1948 he was Prime Minister in the first government to bear his name. He then went to the Netherlands East Indies for two years as Her Majesty's High Commissioner. On his return, he spent two years as professor of public administration at the University of Nijmegen and from 1950 to 1951 also chaired the National Social Welfare Centre.
On 6 December 1951 he returned to the post of Minister of the Interior, this time in the second and third Drees governments. On 7 July 1956, however, he resigned from his ministerial post to become a member of the three-man committee set up at the request of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard to investigate the relationship between the royal family and faith healer Greet Hofmans. On 21 November 1956, he was appointed Minister of State.
Following his membership of the committee on the Greet Hofmans issue, he became government commissioner for broadcasting, once again chairman of the National Social Welfare Centre and a governor of the University of Nijmegen. He also sat on the supervisory boards of various companies.
In October 1956 he became a member of the Council of State. Following the fall of the fourth Drees administration, he headed a caretaker government from 22 December 1958 to 19 May 1959.
From 1959 to 1972 he was Vice-President of the Council of State and between 1948 and 1973 was involved in the formation of many new government coalitions, either as formateur or as informateur.
Mr Beel died in Utrecht on 11 February 1977.
In 1925 he obtained a post in the Provincial Secretariat of Overijssel. After graduating in 1928, he went to work in 1929 in the office of the town clerk in Eindhoven, where he was eventually appointed deputy to the town clerk in 1934.
In 1935 he was awarded a doctorate for his thesis entitled 'Self-government or dependent decentralisation?'.
In 1942 Dr Beel resigned from the Municipality of Eindhoven and began a home-based consultancy in administrative law.
From 23 February 1945 he was Minister of the Interior in the second Gerbrandy administration and the Schermerhorn-Drees government. From 3 July 1947 to 7 August 1948 he was Prime Minister in the first government to bear his name. He then went to the Netherlands East Indies for two years as Her Majesty's High Commissioner. On his return, he spent two years as professor of public administration at the University of Nijmegen and from 1950 to 1951 also chaired the National Social Welfare Centre.
On 6 December 1951 he returned to the post of Minister of the Interior, this time in the second and third Drees governments. On 7 July 1956, however, he resigned from his ministerial post to become a member of the three-man committee set up at the request of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard to investigate the relationship between the royal family and faith healer Greet Hofmans. On 21 November 1956, he was appointed Minister of State.
Following his membership of the committee on the Greet Hofmans issue, he became government commissioner for broadcasting, once again chairman of the National Social Welfare Centre and a governor of the University of Nijmegen. He also sat on the supervisory boards of various companies.
In October 1956 he became a member of the Council of State. Following the fall of the fourth Drees administration, he headed a caretaker government from 22 December 1958 to 19 May 1959.
From 1959 to 1972 he was Vice-President of the Council of State and between 1948 and 1973 was involved in the formation of many new government coalitions, either as formateur or as informateur.
Mr Beel died in Utrecht on 11 February 1977.