Lars T. Platou
Encyclopedia
Lars Tokstad Sem Platou was a Norwegian
electrical engineer and politician for the Conservative Party
. He served three terms in the Norwegian Parliament, was the deputy leader of his party from 1972 to 1978. After his political career he became chair
of Vinmonopolet
.
as a son of Fridthjof Fredrik Sem Platou (1894–1965) and Johanne Marie Tokstad (1898–1980). He was a grandnephew of Gabriel Andreas Stoud Platou
, Waldemar Stoud Platou
and Christian Emil Stoud Platou
, and a first cousin once removed of Karen
, Ragnar
and Frithjof Stoud Platou.
in 1939, and graduated as civil engineer
in electronics in 1946. From 1945 to 1946 he worked as an assistant in mathematics
at the Institute of Technology. He was employed as an electrical engineer in the Hamar
-based company Elektrobygg from 1948 to 1975, also maintained a farm in Veldre
from 1941 to 1982.
As a farmer, he was the regional leader of the Norwegian Agrarian Association
from 1956 to 1958. He was also involved in local politics in Ringsaker
municipality as a municipal council member from 1951 to 1967; during the last two terms he was a member of the executive committee. From 1963 to 1967 he was a member of Hedmark
county council
. He chaired the Conservative Party chapter in Hedmark county from 1950 to 1960, and was also a member of its national board from 1950 to 1965. In 1965 he became a member of its central committee. He served as second deputy leader of the party from 1970 to 1972, and deputy leader from 1972 to 1978.
He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Hedmark in 1965, and was re-elected on two occasions. He had previously served in the position of deputy representative during the terms 1954–1957 and 1958–1961. During his first parliamentary term, he was a member of the Standing Committee on Local Government. In his next two terms, he was a member of the Standing Committee on Finance (chairing it from 1969 to 1973) and a deputy member of the Enlarged Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Outside of representative government, Platou was involved in the administration of Vinmonopolet
from 1950, finally serving as chair
from 1981 to 1987. He was also board chairman of the newspaper Hamar Stiftstidende
1952 to 1968, Kreditkassen from 1978 to 1990, Skibladner
from 1974 to 1982 and Raufoss Ammunisjonsfabrikker from 1985 to 1988. He was a deputy board member of the Norwegian State Housing Bank
from 1966 to 1970.
Platou was decorated with the Defence Medal 1940 – 1945
and the HM The King's Medal of Merit
. He died in 2003.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
electrical engineer and politician for the Conservative Party
Conservative Party of Norway
The Conservative Party is a Norwegian political party. The current leader is Erna Solberg. The party was since the 1920s consistently the second largest party in Norway, but has been surpassed by the growth of the Progress Party in the late 1990s and 2000s...
. He served three terms in the Norwegian Parliament, was the deputy leader of his party from 1972 to 1978. After his political career he became chair
Chair (official)
The chairman is the highest officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office is typically elected or appointed by the members of the group. The chairman presides over meetings of the assembled group and conducts its business in an...
of Vinmonopolet
Vinmonopolet
Vinmonopolet , symbolized by Ⓥ and colloquially shortened to Polet, is a government owned alcoholic beverage retailer and the only company allowed to sell beverages containing an alcohol content higher than 4.75% in Norway....
.
Personal life
He was born in StavangerStavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
as a son of Fridthjof Fredrik Sem Platou (1894–1965) and Johanne Marie Tokstad (1898–1980). He was a grandnephew of Gabriel Andreas Stoud Platou
Gabriel Andreas Stoud Platou
Gabriel Andreas Stoud Platou was a Norwegian banker and politician for the Conservative Party.-Personal life:He was as a son of banker Christian Fredrik Stoud Platou , brother of Christian Emil Stoud Platou and Waldemar Stoud Platou, grandnephew of Ludvig Stoud Platou, uncle of Karen Platou and...
, Waldemar Stoud Platou
Waldemar Stoud Platou
Waldemar Stoud Platou was a Norwegian businessperson. He had a long career in the brewery industry.-Personal life:He was born in Furnes as the son of banker Christian Fredrik Stoud Platou and Elise Sem...
and Christian Emil Stoud Platou
Christian Emil Stoud Platou
Christian Emil Stoud Platou was a Norwegian railroad director and politician for the Conservative Party.-Personal life:...
, and a first cousin once removed of Karen
Karen Platou
Karen Platou was a Norwegian businesswoman and a politician for the Conservative Party. Platou was the country's first woman to be elected Member of Parliament....
, Ragnar
Ragnar Stoud Platou
-Personal life:Platou was born to the banker Gabriel Andreas Stoud Platou and his wife Ingeborg Sophie Falck . His younger brother was the architect Frithjof Stoud Platou...
and Frithjof Stoud Platou.
Career
He enrolled as a student at the Norwegian Institute of TechnologyNorwegian Institute of Technology
The Norwegian Institute of Technology, known by its Norwegian abbrevation NTH was a science institute in Trondheim, Norway. It was established in 1910, and existed as an independent technical university for 85 years, after which it was merged into the University of Trondheim as an independent...
in 1939, and graduated as civil engineer
Sivilingeniør
Sivilingeniør used to be a Norwegian university degree protected by Norwegian law issued to graduates from technical universities. To qualify for the title, you had to follow a structured study programme in technology and natural sciences of 4,5 - 5 years duration at a Norwegian university or...
in electronics in 1946. From 1945 to 1946 he worked as an assistant in mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
at the Institute of Technology. He was employed as an electrical engineer in the Hamar
Hamar
is a town and municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hedmarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Hamar. The municipality of Hamar was separated from Vang as a town and municipality of its own in 1849...
-based company Elektrobygg from 1948 to 1975, also maintained a farm in Veldre
Veldre
Veldre is an area of hills climbing from Brumunddal in Norway. The area is mostly high-productive farmland and pine forest. The top of the Houmbs-høgda offers a splendid view over the Hedemarken district and southern parts of Lake Mjøsa....
from 1941 to 1982.
As a farmer, he was the regional leader of the Norwegian Agrarian Association
Norwegian Agrarian Association
The Norwegian Agrarian Association is the largest Norwegian interest organization for farmers.It functions both as a labour union and as a trade union. It negotiates with the Norwegian Farmers and Smallholders Union and the Norwegian Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion about agricultural...
from 1956 to 1958. He was also involved in local politics in Ringsaker
Ringsaker
is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hedmarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Brumunddal.The municipality of Ringsaker was established on 1 January 1838...
municipality as a municipal council member from 1951 to 1967; during the last two terms he was a member of the executive committee. From 1963 to 1967 he was a member of Hedmark
Hedmark
is a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Akershus. The county administration is in Hamar.Hedmark makes up the northeastern part of Østlandet, the southeastern part of the country. It includes a long part of the borderline with Sweden, Dalarna County and Värmland County. The...
county council
County council (Norway)
A County Council is the highest governing body of the county municipalities in Norway. The county council sets the scope of the county municipal activity. The council is led by a chairman or county mayor...
. He chaired the Conservative Party chapter in Hedmark county from 1950 to 1960, and was also a member of its national board from 1950 to 1965. In 1965 he became a member of its central committee. He served as second deputy leader of the party from 1970 to 1972, and deputy leader from 1972 to 1978.
He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Hedmark in 1965, and was re-elected on two occasions. He had previously served in the position of deputy representative during the terms 1954–1957 and 1958–1961. During his first parliamentary term, he was a member of the Standing Committee on Local Government. In his next two terms, he was a member of the Standing Committee on Finance (chairing it from 1969 to 1973) and a deputy member of the Enlarged Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Outside of representative government, Platou was involved in the administration of Vinmonopolet
Vinmonopolet
Vinmonopolet , symbolized by Ⓥ and colloquially shortened to Polet, is a government owned alcoholic beverage retailer and the only company allowed to sell beverages containing an alcohol content higher than 4.75% in Norway....
from 1950, finally serving as chair
Chair (official)
The chairman is the highest officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office is typically elected or appointed by the members of the group. The chairman presides over meetings of the assembled group and conducts its business in an...
from 1981 to 1987. He was also board chairman of the newspaper Hamar Stiftstidende
Hamar Stiftstidende
Hamar Stiftstidende is a former Norwegian daily newspaper, published in Hamar, Norway from 1847 to 1971. Its original name was Hamar Budstikke, later Hamar Budstikke og Stiftstidende, then Hamar Stiftstidende. In 1872 editor Olaus Arvesen was forced to leave after disagreements with the owners, and...
1952 to 1968, Kreditkassen from 1978 to 1990, Skibladner
Skibladner
PS Skibladner is a paddle steamer operating on the lake of Mjøsa in Norway.Skibladner is a sidewheel design, and her maiden voyage was on 2 August 1856, making her the world's oldest paddle steamer still in timetabled service...
from 1974 to 1982 and Raufoss Ammunisjonsfabrikker from 1985 to 1988. He was a deputy board member of the Norwegian State Housing Bank
Norwegian State Housing Bank
The Norwegian State Housing Bank is a Norwegian Government agency responsible for the housing politics in Norway. The main tool for the bank is mortgages in newly constructed houses. About half of all houses after World War II in Norway have been financed by the Housing Bank. The agency is based...
from 1966 to 1970.
Platou was decorated with the Defence Medal 1940 – 1945
Defence Medal 1940 – 1945
The Defence Medal 1940 – 1945 is the award rewarded to those military and civilian personnel who participated in the fight against the German invasion and occupation of Norway between 1940 and 1945....
and the HM The King's Medal of Merit
HM The King's Medal of Merit
The King's Medal of Merit is a Norwegian award. It was instituted in 1908 to reward meritorious achievements in the fields of art, science, business and public service. It is divided in two classes: gold and silver. The medal in gold is rewarded for extraordinary achievements of importance to the...
. He died in 2003.