John Patteson descended from an upper class Ontario family with strong political connections. After a brief stint at Upper Canada College, he continued his studies at Ridley College and the Royal Military College in Ontario, and then served as a captain of field artillery in World War I. After the War, Patteson joined the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and in 1936 was appointed as the assistant to IOC Member George Brown at the CPR’s European office in London, England, as well as European General Manager of the CPR. After serving as Controller General of Transportation with the Ministry of Supply during World War II, Patteson resumed his previous position and was appointed to the IOC in September 1946, based primarily on his connections to Brown and other political figures, as he had little in the way of a sporting background. He served on the Organizing Committee for the 1948 Olympics because he was based in London and, although his responsibilities with the CPR usually prevented him from attending meetings, he was actively involved with IOC business, particularly in regards to finances.
Canada