Cornelis Pieter Hendrik Teenstra, was President of Rotary International in 1965 - 66. His Presidential Theme was "Action, Consolidation and Continuity". He was the first president of Rotary International from the Netherlands. He was the second medical doctor to reach Rotary’s highest office and the third president from continental Europe.

Cornelius was born in Oldehove in the northern Dutch province of Groningen in 1903 he received his medical degree from Groningen University. He was a sportsman, a good soccer,  rower and billiards, and skating. After graduation in 1930, he joined the Java China, Japan line as ships third surgeon. Then he spent a year as a surgical assistant before joining the staff of the Juliana-Oord sanatorium in Laren, near Amsterdam. The sanatorium specialise in the treatment of the osseus tuberculosis, which became his speciality. Under his direction, the sanatorium capacity increase from 40 to 250 then as the incidence of tuberculosis decline in the early 1950s, he transform the facility into an institute for rehabilitation of neurological patients and victims of traffic accidents.

Cornelius served on the municipal Council of his residential community in Blaricum and in 1960 was appointed by the Queen of the Netherlands as an officer in the Order of the Orange Nassau.

He joined the Rotary Club of Hilversum in 1940 the year The Netherlands entered World War II. After wartime suspension the club re-organised and Cornelius served as its President in 1949. He was district governor the following year, then chairman of the ana ENAEMAC (European, Northern African and Eastern Mediterranean Advisory Committee). He was an RI director in 1955 - 56, the second vice president and 1956 -57. In 1953 - 54 he organise European Youth Exchange and served as its chairman.

He was a great facility with language speaking English, French, German, Swedish, in addition to his Dutch.  Cornelis died in a motor car accident in 1973, and he was 70

 


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