Edit filter log

'{{Short description|Belgian engineer and banker (1862–1932)}} {{Infobox person | name = Jean Jadot | image = File:Jean Jadot.jpg | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = 1862<!-- {{Birth date and age|1862|8|2|df=y}} --> | birth_place = Belgium | death_date = 1932<!-- {{Death date and age|1932|3|1|YYYY|MM|DD|df=y}} --> | death_place = | nationality = Belgian | other_names = | occupation = Engineer, banker | known_for = }} '''Jean Jadot''' (2 August 1862 – 1 March 1932) was a Belgian railway engineer who became a leading banker in the early 20th century. ==Early years (1862–1898)== Jean Jadot was born in Belgium in 1862. His younger brothers, who also became engineers, were Jules and [[Lambert Jadot]] (1875–1967). He graduated from the [[University of Louvain]] and worked in Belgium and Luxembourg for several years. In 1894 Jadot went to Egypt, where he developed the tram system in Cairo. He was promoted to director of the [[Lower Egypt Railroad Company]].{{sfn|Jean Jadot, the engineer banker}} ==China (1898–1905)== [[File:铁展 1934-1 粤汉铁路株韶段黄河桥南段.jpg|thumb|South section of the bridge over the Yellow River, since demolished]] In 1898 Jadot moved to China to work for the ''Société d’Etude de Chemins de Fer en Chine'' as works director for construction of the [[Beijing–Hankou railway]].{{sfn|Jean Jadot, the engineer banker}} Starting in March 1899, the work progressed from both ends. By the end of 1899 in the south the embankments had been completed along a {{convert|100|km}} stretch and {{convert|20|km}} of track had been laid down. In the north there were {{convert|60|km}} of embankments and {{convert|10|km}} of track. The [[Boxer Rebellion]] halted construction for several months in 1900. All the railway officials were given arms to protect themselves.{{sfn|History of a bank ...2013}} In January 1902 the Imperial Court travelled along a completed section of the line on their way back to Beijing. In June 1905 the {{convert|3000|m}} bridge over the [[Yellow River]] was open to traffic. The {{convert|1214|km}} line with 125 stations was opened on 14 November 1905. It was recognized as a major (and profitable) achievement, and Jadot gained great credit.{{sfn|History of a bank ...2013}} The ''[[Société Générale de Belgique]]'' took advantage of the railway project to open the ''Banque Sino Belge'' in 1902. Jadot did not agree with the ambition of King [[Leopold II of Belgium]] to gain territory, which was anyway not practical due to the increase in Chinese nationalism after the suppression of the rebellion. Jadot felt that Belgium was successfully promoting its industry without imperial possessions.{{sfn|Abbeloos|2008|p=112}} He said, “For my part, I still believe that the Belgian concession has so far only been inconvenient for Belgian interests and that in the future it will be of no use".{{sfn|Abbeloos|2008|p=124}} ==Later career (1906–1932)== On his return to Belgium in 1906 Jadot was appointed director in charge of industry development at the ''Société Générale de Belgique''.{{sfn|Jean Jadot, the engineer banker}} Under his direction the ''Société Générale'' participated in setting up three mining-related companies in the Congo Free State: the ''[[Union Minière du Haut-Katanga]]'' (UMHK), the ''[[Société Internationale Forestière et Minière du Congo]]'' ([[Forminière]]) and the ''[[Compagnie du Chemin de Fer du Bas-Congo au Katanga]]'' (BCK).{{sfn|Abbeloos|2008|p=115}} The BCK was founded on 31 October 1906 by the ''[[Comité Spécial du Katanga]]'', the [[Congo Free State]] and the ''Société Générale de Belgique'' to build a rail link from [[Bukama]] in Katanga to [[Port Franqui]] on the [[Kasai River]], from where mining products could be shipped down to [[Léopoldville]]. Jadot was made managing director of the BCK.{{sfn|BCK - KDL}} He was assigned by Leopold II to several other projects in the [[Belgian Congo]].{{sfn|Jean Jadot, the engineer banker}} In 1913 Jadot was appointed governor of the ''Société Générale de Belgique''. Under him the bank entered into new fields of financing, including electricity generation, pharmaceuticals and non-ferrous metals refining. Jadot died in 1932.{{sfn|Jean Jadot, the engineer banker}} ==Notes== {{notes}}{{reflist|30em}} ==Sources== {{refbegin}} *{{citation |url=https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/11295/1/MPRA_paper_11295.pdf |accessdate=2021-04-02 |publisher=Ghent University |year=2008 |last=Abbeloos |first=Jan-Frederik |title=Belgium's Expansionist History between 1870 and 1930: Imperialism and the Globalisation of Belgian Business}} *{{citation |url=http://www.bck-kdl.be/compagnies.htm |accessdate=2021-03-31 |title=BCK - KDL - Le site des chemins de fer du Katanga |year=2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101204151247/http://www.bck-kdl.be/compagnies.htm |archive-date=2010-12-04 |ref={{harvid|BCK - KDL}} }} *{{citation |url=https://www.bnpparibasfortis.com/newsroom/all-news/history_of_a_bank_building_the_beijing___hankou_railway_on_the_eve_of_the_20th_century |accessdate=2021-04-02 |title=History of a bank: building the Beijing - Hankou railway on the eve of the 20th century |date=8 April 2013 |ref={{harvid|History of a bank ...2013}} }} *{{citation |url=https://history.bnpparibas/document/jean-jadot-the-engineer-banker/ |accessdate=2021-04-02 |title=Jean Jadot, the engineer banker |publisher=Source d'Histoire |year=2021 |ref={{harvid|Jean Jadot, the engineer banker}} }} {{refend}} {{authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Jadot, Jean}} [[Category:1862 births]] [[Category:1932 deaths]] [[Category:19th-century Belgian engineers]] [[Category:Belgian bankers]] [[Category:Belgian expatriates in China]]'