Vos attended a
gymnasium in
Heerenveen from April 1917 until May 1921 and applied at the
Delft Institute of Technology in June 1921,
majoring in
Electrical engineering and obtaining a
Bachelor of Engineering degree in June 1923 before graduating with a
Master of Engineering degree in July 1927. Vos worked as a civil servant for the
municipality of
Deventer from July 1927 until September 1928 and for the
Netherlands Patent Office of the
Ministry of Economic Affairs from September 1928 until July 1934. Vos served on the
municipal council of
Rijswijk from 1 September 1931 until 22 July 1934. Vos worked as a trade union leader for the
Dutch Confederation of Trade Unions (NVV) from July 1934 until 8 June 1937 and as the director of the
Social Democratic Workers' Party think tank from July 1934 until May 1940. Vos also served as
editor-in-chief of the party newspaper
Vrijheid, Arbeid en Brood from June 1935 until May 1940. Vos served on the municipal council of
Amsterdam from 3 September 1935 until 5 September 1939. Vos was elected to the
House of Representatives in the
1937 general election, taking office on 8 June 1937 serving as a
frontbencher and
spokesperson for economic affairs. On 10 May 1940
Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands and the
government fled to
London to escape the
German occupation. During the German occupation Vos continued to serve as a Member of the House of Representatives in name only but in reality the
de facto political influence of the House of Representatives was marginalized by the
German occupation authority. Following the end of
World War II, Queen Wilhelmina ordered the formation of a
national unity government to serve in a
caretaker capacity until the new election, with Vos appointed as
Minister of Commerce and Industry in the
Schermerhorn–Drees cabinet, taking office on 25 June 1945. On 9 February 1946, the Social Democratic Workers' Party (SDAP), the
Free-thinking Democratic League (VDB) and the
Christian Democratic Union (CDU) chose to merge to form the
Labour Party (PvdA). After the
1946 general election, Vos returned to the House of Representatives, taking office on 4 June 1946. Following the
1946 cabinet formation, he was appointed as
Minister of Transport in the
Beel I cabinet, taking office on 3 July 1946. Vos served as acting
Minister of Public Works and Reconstruction from 15 November 1946 until 3 March 1947 following the resignation
Johan Ringers. On 1 March 1947 the Minister of Transport was renamed as the
Minister of Transport and Water Management. After the
1948 general election of, Vos again returned to the House of Representatives, taking office on 27 July 1948. Following the
1948 cabinet formation, Vos was not giving a cabinet post in the new cabinet; the Beel I cabinet was replaced by the
Drees–Van Schaik cabinet on 7 August 1948 and Vos continued to serve in the House of Representatives as a frontbencher and spokesperson for economic affairs and small business. In December 1948 Vos was named as
chief executive officer (CEO) of the insurance company
NV Centrale Algemene Levensverzekeringsmaatschappij, he resigned from the House of Representatives on 16 December 1948 and was installed as CEO on 1 January 1949. Vos remained in active in national politics, he served as
Chairman of the Labour Party from 5 June 1953 until 23 February 1955. Vos was elected to the
Senate in the
1956 Senate election, taking office on 6 November 1956 serving as a frontbencher and spokesperson for finances and agriculture. After the
1960 Senate election, Vos was selected as
parliamentary leader of the Labour Party, taking office on 15 November 1960. In February 1968 Vos was nominated as a member of the
Council of State; he resigned as parliamentary leader and member of the Senate on 16 February 1968 and was installed as a member of the Council of State on 21 February 1968. Vos was known for his abilities as a manager and "policy wonk". He holds the distinction as the
first known
LGBT member of the House of Representatives and government minister of the Netherlands, this fact was an
open secret in Dutch politics at that time. ==Decorations==