Exploring Dutch Heritage Through Research 

Exploring Dutch Heritage Through Research 

Biographies

Uncover the life stories of historical figures, innovators, and influential individuals from around the globe. Explore their achievements, struggles, and the legacy they’ve left behind.
Total 364 Contents

Lenny Dykstra was an American Major League Baseball outfielder who played for the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies. A key player in the Mets’ 1986 World Series victory, he was known for strong hitting and multiple All-Star selections.

Clint Eastwood is an American actor, filmmaker, and former mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Rising to fame in Rawhide and western films, he later became an acclaimed director, winning Academy Awards for Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby.

Clint Eastwood is an American actor, filmmaker, and former mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Rising to fame in Rawhide and western films, he later became an acclaimed director, winning Academy Awards for Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby.

John Van Eck was a pioneer in international mutual fund investing and founder of International Investors Incorporated in 1955, later known as Van Eck Global. A Williams College and Harvard MBA graduate, he helped popularize global equity and gold investing.

Derek Van Eck was an American investment manager and commodities trader who co-managed Van Eck Global with his brother Jan. A Williams College and Northwestern graduate, he helped guide the family investment firm before his death in 2010.

William B. Eerdmans, a Dutch immigrant arriving in 1902, founded the William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company in Grand Rapids. Beginning as a theological bookseller, he built a leading Calvinist publishing house known for influential biblical scholarship.

Vernon Ehlers, a physicist and educator, served Michigan’s Third Congressional District in the U.S. House from 1993. Formerly a professor at Calvin College and UC Berkeley, he succeeded President Gerald R. Ford’s Grand Rapids seat.

Lucas Conrad Elmendorf (1758–1843) of Kingston, New York, was a lawyer and Princeton graduate who served three terms in the U.S. Congress (1797–1803). He later held offices in the New York Assembly, Senate, and Ulster County courts.

General James A. Van Fleet (1892–1992) was a U.S. Army officer who served in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. A West Point graduate and classmate of Eisenhower, he later commanded the Eighth Army and U.N. forces in Korea.

Nina Foch (1924–2008), born in Leiden, Netherlands, was a Dutch-American actress nominated for an Academy Award for An American in Paris. After a prolific film career in the 1940s–50s, she became a respected acting and directing instructor at USC and the American Film Institute.

WHAT WAS NEW NETHERLAND?


About New Netherland Institute

For over three decades, NNI has helped cast light on America's Dutch roots. In 2010, it partnered with the New York State Office of Cultural Education to establish the New Netherland Research Center, with matching funds from the State of the Netherlands. NNI is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.