Grave of Célestin Montcocol in the cimetery of Passy, Paris 16e (France)
Célestin Montcocol (French pronunciation:[selɛstɛ̃mɔ̃kɔkɔl]; 26 June 1879 – 27 December 1981) was a French businessman. He built underground constructions and railroad tracks, including some of the Paris Métro. He is a co-founder of the Sainte-Maxime Golf Club.
Early life
Montcocol was born on 26 June 1879 in Avignon.[1][2] He graduated from the École nationale des arts et métiers in Aix-en-Provence in 1898.[1][2]
When his father-in-law died in 1912, he became its sole owner.[1] In the 1920s and 1930s, his firm was one of the top three largest construction firms building the Paris Métro.[1] He also built the sewage system and buildings in Marseille, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, and Antibes.[1] Additionally, he built railroad tracks for the SNCF.[1]
He acquired sixty-six hectares in Sainte-Maxime in 1933, with the aim of developing the land.[1] It became the Sainte-Maxime Golf Club thanks to his grandson, Thierry Ménétrel, in 1991.[2]
His firm was inactive during World War II.[1] In 1943, he was a co-founder of the Ecole d'Application aux Métiers des Travaux Publics in Egletons.[1] After the war, he revived his construction firm.[1] He built the Sainte-Dévote Tunnel in Monaco.[1] He also built subways in Montréal, Mexico, Santiago and Caracas.[1]
He married Emma Labour, the daughter of Victor Labour, a businessman in the construction industry.[1] They had two daughters.[1] One of them, Aline, married Bernard Ménétrel, the physician and advisor to Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II.[3]
Death
He died on 27 December 1981.[1] He was 102 years old.[1]
References
^ abcdefghijklmnopqrsJean-Pierre Jougla, « Célestin Montcocol, 1879-1981 - Notice biographique », Revue d’histoire des chemins de fer [En ligne], 27 | 2003, mis en ligne le 14 janvier 2015, consulté le 21 juin 2015. URL : http://rhcf.revues.org/1889
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