Abdoel Gaffar Pringgodigdo

Pringgodigdo was born in Bojonegoro, East Java, Dutch East Indies on 24 August 1904.[1] He was the older brother of diplomat Abdoel Kareem Pringgodigdo.[2] After two years of elementary school, he studied at a Europeesche Lagere School from 1911 to 1918, then to the Hogere Burger School.[1] After graduating in 1923, he went to Leiden, Netherlands, to study at Leiden University, which he graduated in 1927 with a degree in law.[1] He also received a cum laude degree in Indoloogie, the study of the Dutch East Indies.[1]

After returning to Indonesia, Pringgodigdo took a job as a scribe (Dutch: sekretaris), later becoming the leader (Indonesian: wedana) of Karang Kobar in the eastern part of Purbalingga Regency.[3] Towards the end of the Japanese occupation of Indonesia, Pringgodigdo served on the Committee for Preparatory Work for Indonesian Independence as secretary for Radjiman Widyoningrat, chair of the Committee.[4] He was also part of the Committee of Five (Panitia Lima) responsible for formulating the state philosophy, Pancasila.[5]

Once Indonesia became independent, Pringgodigdo served as state secretary under President Sukarno until January 1950;[4] from June to September 1948 he also served as the commissioner for Sumatra.[4] After the Dutch seized Yogyakarta in December 1948, Pringgodigdo was captured and flown to Bangka with other Indonesian leaders;[6] he also reported that large parts of his archives were burned.[2] From 21 January to 6 September 1950, he served as Minister of Justice, representing the Masyumi Party.[4]

Pringgodigdo (far left) with other leaders in Bangka in 1949

After retiring from politics, Pringgodigdo began teaching. He began as a guest lecturer on law at Gadjah Mada University, later moving to Surabaya and teaching at Airlangga University.[4] At Airlangga, he served as the first Dean of Law from 1953 to 1954, later serving as the university's president from November 1954 to September 1961.[4] After a brief period as acting president at Hasanuddin University in Ujung Pandang, he returned to Surabaya and taught at the Surabaya State Teachers College.[4] He later founded the Institute of Legal Theory in Surabaya with Kho Siok Hie and Oey Pek Hong.[7]

In 1971 he became a member of the People's Representative Council.[7]

Pringgodigdo was married to Nawang Hindrati Joyo Adiningrat.[1]

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