Hendrik Cornelis

Hendrik "Rik" Cornelis (September 18, 1910–1999) was a Belgian colonial civil servant who served as the final Governor-General of the Belgian Congo from 1958 to 1960. His term ended with the independence of the Republic of the Congo.

Hendrik Cornelis
Governor-General Cornelis shortly before leaving the Congo
Governor-General of the Belgian Congo
In office 12 July 1958 – 30 June 1960
Monarch	Baudouin
Preceded by	Léo Pétillon
Succeeded by	None (post abolished)
Personal details
Born	Henri Arthur Adolf Marie Christopher Cornelis (1910-09-18)18 September 1910 Bevere, East Flanders, Belgium
Died	1999 (aged 88 or 89) Chaumont-Gistoux, Wallonia, Belgium
Alma mater	University of Ghent

Cornelis was born in Bevere, near Oudenaarde, in the Belgian province of East Flanders on 18 September 1910. He gained a doctorate in economic science from the University of Ghent, also spending a year at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva. He joined the Belgian colonial administration in Ruanda-Urundi in 1934 and later served in various roles in the Congo. He was promoted to vice-governor-general of the Belgian Congo in 1953. He became the governor-general on 12 July 1958, being the first Dutch-speaking appointee to the role.[1]

After the independence of the Belgian Congo in 1960, Cornelis served as an advisor to Justin Bomboko during his presidency of the College of Commissioners established by Joseph-Désiré Mobutu.[2]