Arthur, Lord Ampthill

Biographical information

RolesAdministrator
SexMale
Full nameArthur Oliver Villiers•Russell
Used nameArthur, Lord•Ampthill
Born19 February 1869 in Roma, Roma (ITA)
Died7 July 1935 in Mayfair, England (GBR)
Title(s)2nd Baron Ampthill
NOC Great Britain

Biography

Arthur, 2nd Baron Ampthill, a descendent of William the Conqueror, was schooled at Eton and then at New College, Oxford, where he rowed in The Boat Race three times, winning twice. An accomplished oarsman, he later rowed for Leander Club, and competed several times at the Henley Regatta. He won the Silver Goblets in 1890-91 with Guy Nickalls, and in 1891, was in the Leander crew that won the Grand Challenge Cup. Coincidentally, Ampthill and Nickalls would later die on consecutive days in July 1935. Lord Ampthill succeeded to the baronetcy in 1884 upon the death of his father.

Lord Ampthill was considered one of the original IOC Members, but his appointment by Pierre de Coubertin appears to have been somewhat of an afterthought, after the appointment of the other original British member, Charles Herbert, as Ampthill did not attend the 1894 Sorbonne Congress. He was a member only until March 1897 and never attended any IOC events.

In 1895 he became the assistant to the colonial secretary Joseph Chamberlain, and in 1897 he became his private secretary. On 5 September 1900 Lord Ampthill was appointed Governor of Madras, serving in that role until 1906. He was also Viceroy of India from April to December 1904. After his return to England, Lord Ampthill was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Bedfordshire in July 1909. He fought in World War I, commanding a battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment and two of the Bedfordshire Regiment in France, twice being mentioned in despatches, and helped found the National Party in 1917. He retired from the military in 1926 as a colonel.

Organization roles

Role Organization Tenure NOC As
Member International Olympic Committee 1894—1898 GBR Arthur, Lord Ampthill

Special Notes