Gerald, Earl Cadogan

Gerald Oakley Cadogan, the 6th Earl of Cadogan, studied at Eton and then became a professional soldier. He joined the Army as a Lieutenant in the Life Guards and became a Captain in the Suffolk Regiment, seeing service in the Boer War in 1900, later serving with the South African Constabulary, before he returned to London in January 1902. He acted as Aide-de-Camp to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from 1895-1905. Cadogan was a Family Trustee of the British Museum, was awarded a CBE in 1919 and was Chairman of the British Olympic Association from 1922-27. He served on the IOC from April 1923 to July 1929.

Cadogan inherited his title on the death of his father, the 5th Earl of Cadogan. Gerald Cadogan was known for his excessive drinking, his heavy gambling and the debts that ensued, and was not a respected figure. His family controlled vast amounts of real estate around London, but the family wealth was strictly controlled by the Cadogan Estate, and Gerald was not a major beneficiary. With limited personal funds and significant debt in London, he retreated to Culford Hall, the family estate in Suffolk, where he spent his time bird watching. He had never been allowed involvement in running of the Cadogan Estate and died bankrupt.