Gerrit Berkhoff

Gerrit (Gé) Berkhoff (Wijhe 9 July 1901 – Oosterbeek 27 February 1996) was a Dutch chemist and the first rector magnificus of the University of Twente in The Netherlands.

The son of primary school principal Gerrit Berkhoff (1868–1959) and Martha Severs (1872–1949), Berkhoff studied chemistry at Leiden University where he obtained, in 1929, a doctor's degree with his PhD dissertation "Osmose van ternaire vloeistoffen" ("Osmosis of ternary fluids").

[1] His journeys to the US immediately after the Second World War, to look at diversification options, enabled DSM to start the production of caprolactam, the raw material needed for the enkalon or nylon 6 textile fibre of the AKU, now part of AkzoNobel.

Under his supervision, the university became innovative in various areas, including student campus-accommodation (previously unknown in The Netherlands), the integration of engineering and the social sciences (now called: high tech, human touch) and the launching of a bachelor's degree.

[4] His speech held on the occasion of the festive opening in 1964 by Queen Juliana and Prince Bernard ended by using the words William of Orange spoke in 1574 on the occasion of the opening of the first Dutch University in Leiden: "That this University College may grow into a lasting fundament and support of freedom,[5] is our sincerest wish".