Jaap R. Bruijn

Jacobus Ruurd "Jaap" Bruijn (13 March 1938 in The Hague – 2 November 2022 Oegstgeest ), was a Dutch maritime historian. He was professor of maritime history at the University of Leiden from 1979 until his retirement in 2003. During his 41-year teaching career as The Netherlands' only university professor of maritime history, he guided the doctoral theses of at least 49 graduate students.

Education and academic career
He completed his doctorate in 1970 at the University of Leiden with a thesis on De Admiraliteit van Amsterdam in rustige jaren, 1713-1751.

In 1974-75, while associate professor of history at Leiden, he was a Fellow at the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities and Social Sciences.

Awards and honors
On his retirement, Bruijn was presented with an album amicorum, In het kielzog: maritiem-historische studies aangeboden aan Jaap R. Bruijn bij zijn vertrek als hoogleraar zeegeschiedenis aan de Universiteit Leiden, edited by Leo Akveld, [et al.], (Amsterdam: De Bataafse Leeuw, 2003).

In 2001, the Nederlandse Vereniging voor Zeegeschiedenis named a prize in his honor, the J.R. Bruijn Prize, which was first awarded in 2003, is given for an outstanding undergraduate thesis in the field of maritime history.