Jaap van Praag

Jacob Philip "Jaap" van Praag (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈjaːkɔp ˈfilɪp ˈjaːp fɑm ˈpraːx]; 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. From 1954 to 1974, he was a member of the executive board of the provincial government of South Holland.^[1]

Before World War II, Van Praag was a socialist and pacifist activist. As a Jew, he went into hiding during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands.^[1]

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.