Jaakko Itälä

Jaakko Itälä (1933–2017) was a Finnish politician. He served as the minister of education for two terms in the 1970s. He was also a member of the Parliament and head of the Liberal People's Party.

Early life and education Itälä was born in Porvoo on 7 May 1933. During his university studies he was a contributor to the student newspaper Ylioppilaslehti. During his term he contributed to the basic education reform in Finland. In 1968 Itälä was named as executive director of the Mannerheim Children's Protection Association. He served at the Parliament until 1983.

Honors Itälä was named an honorary doctor by the University of Helsinki's Faculty of Philosophy in 1990.