Lourens Navis

Lourens Navis was born on 28 May 1870 as Lourens Schokkin at the Borninkhof farm in the rural district of Haart (Aalten), son of the unmarried Janna Geertruid Schokkin. A few months later, on 12 August 1870, his mother married the schoolteacher Hendrik Navis, who recognised Lourens as his child, thereby legitimising him as his son. They went to live on the Kattenberg in Aalten, currently Lichtenvoordsestraatweg 11. The family later moved to the corner of Landstraat/Markt.

In 1900, Navis established a practice as a GP at Prinsegracht 53 in The Hague. On 30 January 1902, he married Johanna Theodora Hulsebos. Six children were born from this marriage: Elisabeth (1903), Janna Geertruid (1904), Johanna Theodora (1906), Hendrik (1909), Thomas Haulog (1913), and Margaretha Catharina (1919).

On his 40th anniversary as a doctor, he was appointed Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau in recognition of his extensive services to society.

Lourens Navis passed away on 13 May 1940 in The Hague and was buried there at the Oud Eik en Duinen cemetery.

Career

• 1 July 1875–1 July 1882: Primary education;
• 1 July 1882–1 July 1885: Pupil teacher;
• 1 September 1885–1888: H.B.S. (3-year course), Winterswijk;
• 1888–1890: H.B.S. (5-year course), Zutphen;
• 1890: Graduation diploma;
• September 1890–19 June 1897: Medical student, University of Amsterdam;
• 19 June 1897: Medical qualification examination;
• 1 October 1897–1 March 1899: Assistant doctor, Wilhelmina Gasthuis, Amsterdam;
• Until 1 February 1900: Second physician at the “Bloemendaal” asylum, Loosduinen;
• Since 12 February 1900: General Practitioner (GP), The Hague;
• 1 January 1911–1 July 1935: Medical examiner, Netherlands Railways (NS);
• Since 1 January 1911: Railway medical officer;
• Roles held: Board member, later Chairman, General Health Insurance Fund for The Hague;
• Roles held: Founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors, N.V. “Het Nieuwe Ziekenfonds”;
• 1917–1932: Co-founder and Chairman of the general regional health insurance fund for the The Hague and surroundings branch of the Dutch Medical Association;
• 1930: Honorary board member of the above;
• 15 January 1914–15 February 1919: Second Secretary of the The Hague and surroundings branch of the Dutch Medical Association;
• 1914: Co-founder and board member of the Association for the Medical Reading Museum and Library;
• 1916–1936: Treasurer of the above;
• 1930: Honorary member of the above;
• 1903: Member of the Advice and Assistance Bureau of the The Hague Association for the Fight Against Tuberculosis;
• 1 January 1910: Executive Board member of the above;
• Since 1 January 1932: Treasurer of the above;
• Multiple terms: Board member of the Dutch Association of Railway Medical Officers;
• 1935 and 1937: Chairman of the above;
• 1927: Co-founder and Chairman of the “H.A.M.E.A.” Association (The Hague Doctors and Pharmacists);
• Roles held: Board member of The Hague Association of General Practitioners;
• 1916–1919: Chairman of the above;
• Until dissolution in 1921: Member of the committee for the distribution of coupons for emergency rations (World War);
• Roles held: Representative of the Central Organisation for Health Insurance Funds of the Dutch Medical Association for the The Hague and surroundings branch;
• Roles held: Member and rapporteur of the Committee on Medical Professional Secrecy;
• For 25 years: Member of the Advisory Council, Workmen’s Association (The Hague branch of the Christian National Workmen’s Union);
• 13 March 1928: Secretary of the Pension Fund Foundation for officials of the Dutch Central Association for the Fight Against Tuberculosis;
• Since October 1936: Secretary-Treasurer of the above;
• 1932: Board member of the Dutch Central Association for the Fight Against Tuberculosis;
• 1916–1919: Member of the Regional Council for the The Hague and surroundings branch of the Dutch Medical Association;
• Subsequently until dissolution: Member of the District Council of the above.

Publications

• “Obstructed labour of a child with a large encephalocele”