Courtauld Stephen Lewis

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Biografie:
Stephen Lewis Courtauld (1883-1967)
Sir Stephen Courtauld died in Rhodesia last October, and was the subject of a number of laudatory notices in the Press at the time. He was a member of the well-known textile family and was born in Essex and educated at Rugby and King's College, Cambridge. During the First World War he served in the Artists' Rifles, the Worcestershire Regiment, and the Machine Gun Corps, and was twice mentioned in despatches and awarded the Military Cross in 1918.
Between the two wars Courtauld was much occupied with Sir Michael Balcon, Basil Dean and others in pioneering the British film industry; he was Chairman of the Ealing Group of companies for over twenty years. In 1951 he settled in Umtali, Rhodesia, saying he did so partly to escape the climate of Argyll (his then home) and partly owing to dislike of the Welfare State. He did much in Rhodesia to develop cultural interests, and was a very generous contributor to many concerns, particularly to the Rhodes National Gallery, of which he was Chairman of the Trustees for a number of years. His own particular interest lay in horticulture and his gardens at his home in U mtali were famous.
To mountaineers, Courtauld's name will be associated with that of E. G. Oliver; the two often climbed together, so that 'Courtauld and Oliver' (plus the Aufdenblattens) came to have something of the earlier ring of such a compound name as 'R yan and the Lochmatters'. Since Courtauld has told his own tale of a number of these climbs, in the Alpine Journal, vol. 57, it is unnecessary to repeat his story: he had been elected to the A. C. in 1908, proposed by Longstaff and seconded by J. W. Jardine, and his three seasons of climbing showed a longish list of ascents.
T.S.B.
PROFESSOR G. I. FINCH writes:
Step hen Courtauld was one of the finest men I have ever known: he served as a machine gunner in the 1914-18 war and how he survived is a sheer mystery Loos and Mont Kemmel were foul places. But Stephen backed us all up with his constant imperturbability, his ever ready smile, and his care for each of his men.
My climbs with him were few, but wonderful experiences. Our best climb together was the traverse of the Peuterey Mont Blanc in 1921. It was a great privilege to me to be able to enjoy for nearly a week Step hen's company a first-class mountaineer with a heart full of compassion and gold.
Quelle: Alpine Journal Volume 73, 1968, Seite 135


Geboren am:
1883
Gestorben am:
1967