Adolphe Van Glabbeke

Van Glabbeke was born on 8 August 1904 in Ostend, West Flanders, Belgium to sea Captain Gustave Alexandre Van Glabbeke and Angèle Ernestine Huyghe. He studied law at the Université libre de Bruxelles and graduated with a degree in maritime law and financial science. He also studied at Princeton University thanks to a scholarship before beginning his career as a lawyer in 1929.^[2]

Van Glabbeke first worked for the Ministry of the Colonies as a private secretary in 1930 while he became active in the Liberal Party. It was for that party that he was elected to the Chamber of Representatives in 1936 for the Ostend-Veurne-Diksmuide area. He remained in this position throughout the occupation of Belgium in World War II and was even an active member of the Belgian resistance. Following the liberation of Belgium in 1944, Van Glabbeke became the chairman of the General Confederation of Liberal Trade Unions of Belgium, a position which he would hold until 1959. During a debate concerning the Royal question in 1950, Van Glabbeke who was opposed to the return of King Leopold III was involved in a fistfight with Les Engagés politician Jules Descampe who was in favour of the King's return.^[3]

Van Glabbeke achieved his first ministry appointment in the Government of Prime Minister Achille Van Acker, and was appointed Minister of the Interior on 12 February 1945. He held the position until March 1946 when he was instead appointed as Minister of Justice until the appointment of the next Government in August 1946. Van Glabbeke would find work in the Government again in 1949, when he was appointed Minister of Public Health by Prime Minister Gaston Eyskens. He held the position until 1950 and was elected as a city council member in Ostend two years later. That same year, Van Glabbeke served as an Alderman in Ostend until his election as Mayor of Ostend in 1953. Van Glabbeke would end up holding one more ministry position as he was appointed Secretary of State of Public Works [nl] by Prime Minister Achille Van Acker in 1954, however Van Glabbeke resigned from the post the next year due to allegations of favouring his in-laws in state assignments.^[4]

Van Glabbeke's term as Mayor of Ostend ended on 6 February 1959, but he was still serving as a Member of the Chamber of Representatives and chairman of the General Confederation of Liberal Trade Unions of Belgium when he travelled to Zanzibar and Belgian Congo on a diplomatic mission that same year. While in Zanzibar following his visit to Leopoldville, Van Glabbeke died unexpectedly on 5 July 1959 at the age of 54. His body was brought back to Belgium and Buried in Ostend.^[3]