Theodorus van Kooten

Dr. Theodorus van Kooten (Leeuwarden, 22 October 1749 – Bennebroek, 1 February 1813) was a Dutch poet, professor and politician.

Van Kooten was the son of the sexton at Leeuwarden, and amazed all visitors to his father's house by translating randomly selected pieces from the Greek bible into Dutch.

Van Kooten was - together with Wybo Fijnje and Samuel Iperusz Wiselius - a member of the committee for the deconstruction of the VOC (Dutch East India Company).

He traveled to Madrid as secretary to Johan Valckenaer, who had become the Batavian Republic's extraordinary ambassador to Spain.

In 1801 they returned, but van Kooten remained Valckenaer's housemate in Bennebroek, while his wife and children lived in Kampen.