Frederik Jacques Philips (1905 - 2005)

Born 16 Apr 1905 in Eindhoven, Noord-Brabant, Nederland

Ancestors

Husband of Sylvia van Lennep — married 4 Jul 1929 in 's-Gravenhage, Zuid-Holland, Nederland

Died 5 Dec 2005 at age 100 in Eindhoven, Noord-Brabant, Nederland

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Steven Mix [send private message]

Biography

Frits Philips is geboren in Noord-Brabant na 1811

Frits Philips is Notable.

Frederik Jacques "Frits" Philips (16 April 1905 – 5 December 2005) was famous as the fourth chairman of the board of directors of the Dutch electronics company Philips, which his uncle Gerard and father Anton Philips founded. For his actions in saving 382 Jews during the Nazi Occupation of the Netherlands in World War II, he was recognized in 1996 by Yad Vashem as a Righteous Among the Nations.

His famous father and corporate predecessor Anton Philips married Anne Henriëtte Elisabeth Maria de Jongh, and they had three children.^[1]

Frits Philips was born in 1905 in the city of Eindhoven in the south of the Netherlands.^[2] The second child, and the only son. Frits's older sister was named Annetje and his younger sister named Jettie. ^[3]

In 1912 his father Anton joined his brother Gerard in the family business, which they then incorporated and renamed Philips Gloeilampenfabriek N.V. (Philips Lightbulbfactory NV) ^[1] Gerard served as the first CEO of the Philips corporation, the base for the later Philips multinational. ^[4]

Anton Philips later brought his son Frits Philips and son-in-law Frans Otten into the company. ^[1]

In 1923, Frits Philips started his studies at the Delft University of Technology and received an engineer's degree in mechanical engineering in 1929. He was introduced to the Oxford Group in 1934, the Christian movement that was the forerunner of Moral Re-Armament (MRA) and Initiatives of Change (IofC). The Oxford Group became a lifelong source of inspiration to him and his wife.^[3]

On 4 July 1929 in The Hague, he married Jonkvrouwe Sylvia van Lennep (The Hague, 16 December 1905 – Eindhoven, 29 August 1992), daughter of Jonkheer Roelof van Lennep (Wiesbaden, 3 October 1876 – The Hague, 13 September 1951), and wife Digna Jacoba Mijer (b. Batavia, 28 March 1883). ^[5]

Frits and Sylvia had seven children: ^[3]

1. Digna Hintzen-Philips (b. 14 September 1930),
2. Anton Frederik (b. 12 March 1932),
3. Anne Jetje (Annejet) Philips-Campbell (b. 14 October 1933),
4. Sylvia Philips-Van Werkhoven (b. 6 December 1936 – d. 13 June 1988),
5. Warner,
6. Frits II (who married and had Warner (b. 3 October 1969) and Frits III) and
7. Maria.

On 18 October 1935 Frits Philips was appointed vice-director and a member of the board of Philips.^[3]

Prior to the expected occupation of the Netherlands by Nazi Germany in World War II in 1940, his father Anton Philips, son-in-law Frans Otten, and other Philips family members escaped from the Netherlands and fled to the United States, taking company capital with them. Frits Philips stayed in the Netherlands to manage the company through the war.^[3]

During the Occupation, Frits Philips saved the lives of 382 Jews by convincing the Nazis that they were indispensable for the production process at Philips. But then several years into the war, following a workers' strike at the factory, Frits was arrested and imprisoned by the Nazis. ^[1] From 30 May until 20 September 1943, Frits was held in the concentration camp Vught, but he survived through the end of the war. In 1996, he was recognized by Yad Vashem as among the Righteous Among the Nations for his actions.^[3]

In 1961, Frits succeeded his brother-in-law Frans Otten as president of the company. He served in this position for 10 years; in 1971 he was succeeded by Henk van Riemsdijk, the husband of his younger sister.^[3]

On 5 December 2005, at the age of 100, Frits Philips died from complications resulting from a fall in November.^[3] He was buried in the Gemeentelijke Begraafplaats Woensel in Eindhoven, in the same grave as his wife.^[6]

He was very popular in his home town, and a glossy magazine targeted at Eindhoven is named "Frits" in his honor. The Muziekgebouw Frits Philips concert hall is named after him, and a restaurant in the building is named "Meneer Frits".^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Anton Philips, English Wikipedia
2. ↑ Burgerlijke Stand Geboorte 1905, Eindhoven, Noord-Brabant, Nederland. Akte 53 (1905-04-17), Regionaal Historisch Centrum Eindhoven accessed via WieWasWie Permalink, view via OpenArch
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8} Frits Philips, English Wikipedia
4. ↑ Gerard_Philips, English Wikipedia
5. ↑ Municipal archive The Hague in Den Haag (Netherlands), Civil registration marriages Ambtenaar van de burgerlijke stand van de gemeente 's-Gravenhage, 's-Gravenhage, archive 335-01, inventory number 1022, 04-07-1929, Huwelijksakten Den Haag, record number B931
6. ↑ Graf Sylvia Philips geboren Jonkvrouw van Lennep en Frederik Jacques Philips, Wikimedia Commons

See also:

• Wikidata: Item Q658734, nl:Wikipedia
• Wikidata: Item Q658734, en:Wikipedia
• Geni profile: Frederik Jacques Philips

• Memorial: Find a Grave (has image)
  Find A Grave: Memorial #43082830 (accessed 6 April 2024)
  Memorial page for Dr Frits Jacques Philips (16 Apr 1905-5 Dec 2005), citing Woensel General Cemetery, Woensel, Eindhoven Municipality, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands; Maintained by Rik Van Beveren (contributor 46956302).