Curriculum vitae

Ion Ratiu was Born in Turda, Transylvania on the 6th of june 1917, his parents were Dr. Augustin Ratiu and Eugenia Turcu. He married in England Elisabeth, the daughter of colonel Guy Pilkington and he had two children, Indrei and Nicolae.

STUDIES:
- Ion graduated George Baritiu high school, the Law School of the University of Cluj (1938) and the Economics School of Cambridge University (1943). He obtained his doctor degree in Politics
- From 1938-1940 he practiced law in Dr. Ionel Pop's office and april 1940 he became Counsellor at the Romanian Embassy of London
- During Antonescu's dictatorship he was requested to return Romania so he resigned and established himself in Great Britain (1940)
- He attended "The Free Romanians Movement", founded by V.V.Tilea
- As an independent journalist he collaborated with: "BBC London Radio"and "International News Service",(1946-1947) "Teoria generala a obligatiunilor în Codul Civil Român"- Cluj,1936

PUBLICATIONS:
- "Teoria generala a obligatiunilor în Codul Civil Român"- Cluj,1936
- " Succesiunea legala- ab Intestat- În Codul Civil Român"- Cluj, 1937 (în colaborare cu Aurel Chira)
- " Policy for the West" - Harvill, Londra, 1957
- " Templeton - piesa de teatru - Arts Theatre Club, Londra 1958 (în colaborare cu Jane Cobb)
- " Bassarabia, a Romanian land"- ACARDA, Londra, 1968
- " Contemporary Romania" - Foreign Affairs, Londra, 1975
- " La Roumanie d'auhourd'hui"- Grassin, Paris, 1975
- " Rumunia wspolcszesna " - Londra, 1977
- " Cartea Memorandului " - ACARDA, Londra, 1979
- " Moscova Challenges the World " - Sherwood, Londra, 1986
- " Moscova Sfideaza Lumea"- Signata, Timisoara, 1990
- " România de astazi"- Condor, Bucuresti 1990

LECTURES:
- Lectures against nazisim during the Second World Warr, 1940-1959
- Many lectures in the United States and a tour including sixty-seven towns, may-june 1960

RADIO SHOWS:
- Interviews and articles at the Romanian Service of BBC (1940-1951)
- Program assistant at BBC (1952- 1955)
- Radio shows in Romanian at "Europa Libera", "Voice of America" and "Deutsche Welle"

MARITIME TRANSPORTATION:
- Between 1951-1957 he was employed by the "Pall Mall" group of companies, he became the manager of "Julius Robert Limited" (1951-1957)
- He founded his own company "J.R.Shipping Co.Ltd.", specialised on maritime transportation (1957)
- He founded and administrated "Regent Line", also a company of maritim transportation on the Atlantic (1963-1975)

OTHER ACTIVITIES:
- Member of the National Pesant Christian and Democratical Party
- Founding President of the "Romanian Students Association of Great Britain"
- Member of the Romanian Delegation at the European Nations Captives in Strasbourg, April 1958
- Member of the Central Eastern European of the "European Movement"
- President of the "International Federation of Free Journalists"(1957-1984)
- Member of the "Association of Foreigner Press" from London
- Founder of the "Amnesty International",1960
- Member of the "Association of Public Speakers"of USA
- President of the "Cultural Association of Romanian People from England"(1965-1985)
- President of World Union for Free Romanians (1984)

During the Romanian Revolution of December 1989, he announced publicly his return to Romania. On 24th of January he returned to Romania after an exile of fifty years. At his arrival to Otopeni airport he was accompanied by British politicians and journalists. Many people greeted and welcomed him to Bucharest, even Corneliu Coposu, his old friend.
He ran for President during the elections of 20th of May 1990. He was elected as deputy of Cluj and of Arad (starting in 1996). Ion Ratiu was vice-president of the Chamber of Deputies and member in the foreign board of the Romanian Parliament.
He died in London, on 17th of January 2000 and is burried in Turda. More than 10,000 persons attended to his funeral.

(bibliographical source:
Ion Ratiu, Cine ma cunoaste in tara asa cum sunt?... Progresul Romanesc, 1991)