Gerrit Jan Van Heuven Goedhart

Dutch journalist, diplomat and politician. From 1951–1956, he was the first United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) after WW2.

He was the second of four sons of the Protestant army vicar and bookshop keeper Gijsbert Willem Goedhart (12 September 1877, Arnhem - 10 January 1952, Hilversum) and Francina Dingena Helena van Heuven (6 June 1872, Arnhem - 3 December 1919, Zwammerdam). After his mothers death his father remarried Trijntje Hofstra (21 July 1907, Assen - 6 June 1989, Hilversum) and got three other children.

Van Heuven Goedhart studied Law at Leiden University and graduated on 9 July 1926 with the thesis "De ontwikkeling der werkloosheidsverzekering in Nederland" (The development of the unemployment insurance in the Netherlands).

In 1925 he had already become a reporter for newspaper De Telegraaf, in 1926 he became editor. On 1 January 1930, he became the editor-in-chief of De Telegraaf. In March 1933, he refused to post the articles of the Berlin reporter J.M. Goedemans, who called the newly elected German leader Adolf Hitler "a great statesman". Because of his principles, Goedhart was fired on 1 June 1933 by the Telegraaf directory board.

On 1 July 1933, he became editor in chief of the regional newspaper Utrechts Nieuwsblad, that grew under his leadership, until soon after the German invasion of the Netherlands, when on 17 May 1940, Goedhart was again fired "because of the changed political circumstances".

In the late thirties, Goedhart (meaning Good heart) became a vivid supporter of the principles of free journalism. In their Dutch periodical De Journalist, Goedhart wrote: "A journalist who is inwardly free, is like a loudspeaker. He alone is "pick up" and has megaphone utility. Not as adviser, critic or customer of responsibility" (1 June 1938). Just tell the truth, and let the readers decide.