Godefroy de Blonay
Encyclopedia
Godefroy Jean Henri Louis de Blonay
(July 25, 1869 in Niederschöntal, south of Basel
– February 14, 1937 in Biskra
, Algeria
), was an important early member of the International Olympic Committee.
From 1899 he was the first Swiss member on the International Olympic Committee
(I.O.C.).
He was to be on the committee for 38 years until his death in 1937, being the 24th on the roll of members since 1884; Pierre de Coubertin
is number one. In 1912 de Blonay was one of the founders of the Swiss Olympic Association
and from 1912 to 1915 he was its first president.
Baron de Blonay was for a time one of the closest confidants of the I.O.C.'s legendary second president Pierre de Coubertin
. When de Coubertin joined the French army in 1916 de Blonay became acting president of the I.O.C. A little bit earlier, when de Coubertin nearly ran out of money and took a back seat, de Blonay had been appointed to run an International Olympic executive committee, in lieu of the president. However, it has been suggested that he somehow upset de Coubertin by over-stretching the powers of this committee and it was this that may have caused him, surprisingly, not to have been chosen to succeed as the third I.O.C. president in 1925.
) by his second wife Agnes Louisa La Trobe (d. 5 May 1916, ebendort), daughter of Governor Charles Joseph La Trobe
, CB, by his wife Sophie de Montmollin.
They had four children and lived at the château de Grandson
, Vaud
, near Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland.
Blonay
Blonay is a municipality in the district of Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.-History:Blonay is first mentioned in 861 as Blodennaco. In 1108 it was mentioned as Bloniaco. During the 13th Century it was known as Blonay, Blonai and Blunai.-Geography:Blonay has an area, ,...
(July 25, 1869 in Niederschöntal, south of Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
– February 14, 1937 in Biskra
Biskra
Biskra is the capital city of Biskra province, Algeria. In 2007, its population was recorded as 207,987.During Roman times the town was called Vescera, though this may have been simply a Latin transliteration of the native name. Around 200 AD under Septimius Severus' reign, it was seized by the...
, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
), was an important early member of the International Olympic Committee.
From 1899 he was the first Swiss member on the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
(I.O.C.).
He was to be on the committee for 38 years until his death in 1937, being the 24th on the roll of members since 1884; Pierre de Coubertin
Pierre de Coubertin
Pierre de Frédy, Baron de Coubertin was a French educationalist and historian, founder of the International Olympic Committee, and is considered the father of the modern Olympic Games...
is number one. In 1912 de Blonay was one of the founders of the Swiss Olympic Association
Swiss Olympic Association
Swiss Olympic Association is the National Olympic Committee representing Switzerland....
and from 1912 to 1915 he was its first president.
Baron de Blonay was for a time one of the closest confidants of the I.O.C.'s legendary second president Pierre de Coubertin
Pierre de Coubertin
Pierre de Frédy, Baron de Coubertin was a French educationalist and historian, founder of the International Olympic Committee, and is considered the father of the modern Olympic Games...
. When de Coubertin joined the French army in 1916 de Blonay became acting president of the I.O.C. A little bit earlier, when de Coubertin nearly ran out of money and took a back seat, de Blonay had been appointed to run an International Olympic executive committee, in lieu of the president. However, it has been suggested that he somehow upset de Coubertin by over-stretching the powers of this committee and it was this that may have caused him, surprisingly, not to have been chosen to succeed as the third I.O.C. president in 1925.
Wife and family
In Neuchâtel on 24 September 1901 he married Elisabeth Sophie de Salis (Neuchâtel, 21 May 1880 - 30 March 1967). She was the only surviving child of Count Peter de Salis (second son of Peter, 5th Count de Salis-SoglioPeter, 5th Count de Salis-Soglio
Peter John de Salis, 5th Count de Salis-Soglio DL, JP was a soldier and landowner in the Irish counties Limerick and Armagh. He was Grand Prior of the Venerable English Langue of the Order of St...
) by his second wife Agnes Louisa La Trobe (d. 5 May 1916, ebendort), daughter of Governor Charles Joseph La Trobe
Charles La Trobe
Charles Joseph La Trobe was the first lieutenant-governor of the colony of Victoria .-Early life:La Trobe was born in London, the son of Christian Ignatius Latrobe, a family of Huguenot origin...
, CB, by his wife Sophie de Montmollin.
They had four children and lived at the château de Grandson
Grandson, Switzerland
Grandson is a municipality in the district of Jura-Nord Vaudois in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.During the Burgundian Wars, Charles the Bold was defeated near here in the Battle of Grandson on 2 March 1476.-History:...
, Vaud
Vaud
Vaud is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland and is located in Romandy, the French-speaking southwestern part of the country. The capital is Lausanne. The name of the Canton in Switzerland's other languages are Vaud in Italian , Waadt in German , and Vad in Romansh.-History:Along the lakes,...
, near Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland.