Jaap van Praag

Jaap van Praag

Jacob Philip (Jaap) van Praag (born 11 May 1911 in Amsterdam – died 12 April 1981 in Utrecht) was a Dutch humanist who played a prominent role in establishing the Dutch Humanist League. He was its chairman from 1946 to 1969. And, from 1954 to 1974, he was a member of a provincial Executive.

Van Praag was one of the first professors in Humanist studies in University of Leiden (1964–1979). He played a major role in the founding of the International Humanist and Ethical Union and was its chairman from inception in 1952 until 1975.

Name confusion

There was another Jaap van Praag who lived in the same period (Amsterdam, 10 July 1910 – Amsterdam, 7 August 1987). This Jaap van Praag was chairman of Dutch football club AFC Ajax from 1964 to 1978.

Sources

• Biography by Pieter Edelman in the Encyclopedie van het Humanisme (in Dutch).