Dick de Hoog

Frederik Hermanus "Dick" de Hoog (16 June 1881 – 3 January 1939) was the Indo (Eurasian) president of the Indo-European Alliance, a member of the People's Council, and a professional politician in the Dutch East Indies. He was also a Grand Master (Masonic) of the Dutch East Indies Freemasonry (Grand Orient of the Netherlands).

He was born in Ambon and died in Bandung, Dutch East Indies. He was the son of a Dutch man Johannes Hermanus Josephus de Hoog, employed in the Dutch East Indies Navy, and Indo (Eurasian) mother Susanna Beekman. He was married to the Indo-Chinese Kiong Nio Oei (1874–1961). The couple had two adoptive children.

After an expeditious and successful professional career Dick de Hoog went into politics and became the undisputed leader of the Indo Europeesch Verbond (English: Indo-European Alliance), the most important Indo-emancipation movement of the time. As its representative, he became a professional politician and full-time member of the Dutch East Indies 'Volksraad', an infant form of parliament.

He successfully united all Indo-social layers and built the largest Indo organisation in the Dutch East Indies. His organisation became the biggest political fraction represented in the People's Assembly fighting for race equality and a self-sufficient and independent nation, albeit as a dominion in a larger Dutch commonwealth.

A popular figure among Indos in the Dutch East Indies he became the face and voice of Indo emancipation. Emerging as the IEV's leader he was a champion of Indo interests in the Dutch East Indies until he died in 1939.

Social career De Hoog was the youngest of 5 children. Due to the death of his father when he was still an infant toddler, the family was unable to afford appropriate schooling for the brilliant and inquisitive boy. Fortunately, a scholarship granted by the Freemasons Lodge enabled De Hoog to graduate cum laude at the Surabaya HBS at 16. He started his professional career as a clerk in Surabaya and at age 19 joined the State Railway company. Within a few years, he was promoted to chief of its main cargo freight station. By 1905 he was station chief in Jombang, where his career halted because the highest job positions in the Dutch East Indies were restricted to people educated in the Netherlands and were usually occupied by expatriate Dutchmen.

With financial help from a friend, the already-married De Hoog, was able to pursue an academic education in the Netherlands in 1914. In record time he graduated from Leiden University in 1916. The next year he and his wife traveled back to the Dutch East Indies via the United States. In Batavia he became the right-hand man of the director of the State Railway company and in 1922 its principal officer in Jogjakarta. In 1925 he was promoted again and moved to Bandung as Inspector First Class.