Comte Élie Dors
de Lastours
Male
France
1874-08-12
Orgeval, Yvelines, France
1932-11-18
Castres, Tarn, France
The following piece was translated and slightly adapted from the original Wikipeda in French on Count Élie de Lastours, which can be accessed here:
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89lie_Dor_de_Lastours
Born into the distinguished Dor de Lastours family, Élie Dor de Lastours was the eldest son of Count François Dor de Lastours and Suzanne Baylin de Monbel. Élie spent his youth at the Château de Lastours in Castres. He completed his secondary studies at the Gerson school in Paris, then at the convent of the Immaculate Conception in Toulouse.
Between 1894 and 1895, he studied at the Notre-Dame Saint-Sigisbert high school in Nancy for the entrance exam to the Special Military School (ESM) in Saint-Cyr. However, he later abandoned a military career in favour of a diplomatic one. A graduate of the Free School of Political Science and Oriental Languages, and also the holder of a law degree, he was appointed student consul on May 2, 1901. During his time as a diplomat in London, as third secretary at the French embassy, he was well regarded by Paul Cambon.
He was released from his post in 1912. In December 1919, he became a deputy for the Tarn, a department in the Occitania region of southern France, obtaining 30,673 votes out of 77,789 votes. The same year, he married Marguerite Gérard, daughter of the deputy Maurice Gérard and great-niece of the painter François Gérard, with whom he had 6 children: one son and five daughters.
He remained a deputy until 1924 and was a member of the Democratic Republican Entente faction. He did not subsequently stand for re-election. During his mandate, he took a position in favour of the occupation of the Ruhr, and was appointed a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, the Algeria Committee and the Colonial Affairs Committee.
A keen sportsman, de Lastours excelled at fencing and lawn tennis. In 1900, he took part in the men’s doubles event held during the Universal Exhibtion in Paris, where he partnered Guy de la Chapelle. This event and related events were later awarded Olympic status by the International Olympic Committee. In 1908, de Lastours also became the first Frenchman to participate in the Wimbledon tournament, where he took part in the singles event and, with his compatriot Pierre Verdé-Delisle, the men’s doubles event.
1899 - 1908
0
12
3
Round 2
Robert Powell 1 *
Comte Élie Dors de Lastours
6-0
6-2
6-2
Round 2
Pierre Verdé Delisle 1 *
Comte Élie Dors de Lastours
8-6
7-9
6-1
Round 1
Archibald Adam Warden 1 *
Comte Élie Dors de Lastours
6-1
2-6
7-5
Round 1
Jacques François Marie Worth 1 *
Comte Élie Dors de Lastours
6-1
6-1
Round 1
Comte Élie Dors de Lastours 1 *
P. Krengel
4-6
6-1
6-3
Round 2
George A. Lyon Jr. 1 *
Comte Élie Dors de Lastours
6-1
8-6
Round 1
Comte Élie Dors de Lastours 1 *
Maurice Germot
w.o.
Quarterfinals
Max Decugis 1 *
Comte Élie Dors de Lastours
10-8
6-3
Round 2
Comte Élie Dors de Lastours 1 *
Francis John Childs (John) Ganzoni
5-7
6-1
6-3
Round 3
Basil Spaulding de Garmendia 1 *
Comte Élie Dors de Lastours
6-2
6-0
Round 1
John Carlton Hunting 1 *
Comte Élie Dors de Lastours
7-5
6-2
Round 1
J.B. Ward 1 *
Comte Élie Dors de Lastours
6-1
6-2
9-7