Theo “Bob” Holtzheuser ‘75 is a fountain of American School of The Hague (ASH) knowledge and an anchor in keeping his classmates connected with ASH. He has attended countless class reunions all over the world, gave the Alumni Address at the Class of 1997 ASH graduation, and regularly posts throwbacks to the days of ASH on the Paulus Buijsstraat. Bob also was one of the key contributors to the 50th anniversary THIMUN publication. He truly is an ASH ambassador and it was our pleasure to host him during his recent campus visit and hear his captivating stories, firsthand.
What is your background at ASH?
I attended ASH from 1971-1975, for Grades 9 through 12. My connection to ASH was quite by accident. Back then, it was called The American School of The International Schools (TASOTIS). My uncle sold his house in Toronto in 1970 and decided to move back to the Netherlands, as my family has Dutch roots. He, his wife and my two cousins moved to Rijswijk. My cousin Chris was enrolled in Grade 7 at the TASOTIS Middle School for the 1970-71 school year and my cousin Joan was enrolled in Grade 12 at TASOTIS that same year. They did not like the living abroad experience and wished to return to Toronto,so, my dad and uncle agreed to exchange places for one year: my uncle's family moved into our place in Toronto and we moved into theirs in Rijswijk. That was in the summer of 1971 and on the last Wednesday of August that summer I embarked on the ASH journey.
After one year when it was time to exchange once again, my mother and I each expressed our desire to remain in the Netherlands. My mother wished to stay for sibling and parental closeness due to her Dutch heritage, and myself for the American School community. I still remember the first day of school on the bus, very nervous about my first day of school in a new country and new city. By the end of the day, I realized that there were so many students like me, coming from all sorts of different countries, all having their first day of school in a new place just like me. In the end, I had made so many new friends that year I didn't want to leave when the time was up.
What is one of the most valuable things that you took from your time at ASH?
The most important gift that I took away from my 4 years at ASH is the everlasting friendships that still exist to this day. These friendships extend to every corner of the earth. The second most important gift was the educator's mold that impressed on my mind. My teachers not only taught the curriculum but inspired me to think beyond the box. The combined experience of the school, international, and Netherlands spheres set me apart from my counterparts in North American settings. It was a sort of awakening, eye-opening experience.
How did ASH help shape your path in life?
My academics at ASH were varied, and I excelled in history and social studies. I wasn't the scientist or mathematics type. I was lucky enough to be assigned to two of Paul Sand’s classes in Grade 10, Political Science and Sociology. The first time I walked into his classroom I felt intimidated, as the desks were all pushed aside and there were two dozen chairs arranged into a circle. Mr. Sand was sitting in one of the chairs, and it was clear that all students had equal status in the room and were all expected to participate in the classroom discussions. Students were also required to participate in Model United Nations (MUN) at that time, and I was a delegate from 1972 -1975. If nothing more, the experience and learning about the countries that I represented their culture, traditions, economics, and concerns, was so important. Looking back, it was one of the highlights of my high school education. It instilled in me that all roles, from the small background ones to the forefront, each had a key part to play in international diplomacy and international delegation.
Are there any standout moments or people from your time at ASH?
Many teachers stand out from the years I had at ASH. Paul Sand was influential in opening all of our eyes to global issues and discussions, bringing it to the classroom level and developing THIMUN for all ASH students to participate in. Of course, there are so many other teachers to name, Ineke van der Jagt for math, Koo Stroo for art, and the coaches I had as a JV and Varsity athlete.
Mr. Mcguire was also one of a kind. So much so that even my daughters wanted to experience the ASH life for themselves, after years of listening to my stories. Fortune had it that I was to travel to Egypt via The Hague for a teaching assignment in 2006, which coincided with the girls’ February break. To their delight, Mr. Mcguire agreed to host them in his classroom for the day and would meet the students in each of his classes. I left for my teaching assignment in Cairo, giving my 3 girls instructions on how to get to ASH from our hotel in The Hague. On that fateful February day, my 3 daughters woke up early to darkness and steady rain. They trudged through the puddles, huddling under an umbrella, and waited for a tram. The tram took them to a bus stop where they had to wait in the rain and dark, for just a little more of that “The Hague in February” experience. The bus trip took them to within a block of the ASH campus. Still dark and raining, three cold, wet, and soaked Holtzys walked the last steps to the dry inside and comfort of ASH.
Once inside, they were welcomed into the educational environment of Mr. Thomas McGuire’s classroom. For each class, a new group of students would settle into their seats. But before lessons could begin, introductions with a brief history as to why three “Holtzys” had joined the class. The introductions were not completely historical but touched upon fond memories of those '70s students (including myself), tweaked with humor, jest, and jabs at Canada.
My daughters had a great day at ASH and loved their experiences in McGuiredom. However, there was the transit trip back to the Hotel in Scheveningen..... in the dark, in the rain. Upon my return from Cairo, my daughters had a change of heart about living in The Hague. They had experienced 6 days of rain through 6 hours of daylight. "Dad, How did you manage to survive through 4 years here?" they asked. My reply, "It wasn't just about the weather, it was about the people, like Mr. McGuire, that made the rain go away." My daughters continually mention this experiment as one of their best vacations and life experiences and fondly mention Mr. McGuire as if he were their teacher.
What are you doing today?
My goal was to become a lawyer after I graduated from ASH in 1975. My university path took me to Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario - the only Canadian university in Ontario that would accept me at the time. After one year of University, I tried working in my family's business (imported Dutch Products in Canada) but I wasn't a fan of the hours or wages. Then, an advertisement for Police Cadets caught my eye - my interest in law and social studies pushed me to apply. In 1977, I joined the Metropolitan Toronto Police which embarked me on a 27.5 year career in the field. I moved up from a motorcycle office to a collision investigator, to a fatality investigator, and then to the hit-and-run squad. It was then I became involved in community traffic and safety programs for the entire 7,600 member Police force.
Interestingly enough, things came full circle in 2004 when I retired from the police service and started a road and safety consulting business. That same year, the UN declared a global road safety crisis due to the 3000+ people killed per day worldwide due to car crashes. In April of that year, I was invited to the UN Headquarters to take part in The Global Road Safety Strategy, which brought road and safety experts together from around the world to develop strategies. It was amazing to be in the real General Assembly Hall of the real United Nations, all those years later after our MUN in The Hague! For the next 5 years, I traveled around the globe to teach developing nations about big-city policing strategies, deployment, and policy-making for traffic safety in efforts to reduce death and injury caused by crashes. By 2009 the UN interest had subsided and I retired once again to enjoy time with my family and traveling - stopping by the Netherlands now and again and keeping active with so many of my friends from ASH, even to this day.