Gerhard von Hessert
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | German |
| Born |
August 18, 1906 Freiburg im Breisgau, Grand Duchy of Baden, German Empire |
| Died | October 22, 1994 (aged 88) |
| Sport | |
| Country | Germany |
| Sport | Bobsled |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best(s) | 8:35:45 (1932) |
Baron Gerhard Rudolf Viktor von Hessert (August 18, 1906 – September 22, 1994) was a German bobsledder who competed in the early 1930s.
Von Hessert was born in Freiburg im Breisgau, the youngest of four siblings. His great-grandfather Dr. Franz Ferdinand von Hessert was leibarzt to Ludwig I and, together with Friedrich von Pilger, became a vaccination pioneer in Hesse when they both conducted cowpox inoculation trials in the early 1800s after Edward Jenner's advancements in vaccination in England.[1][2]
His family was in constant move due to the nature of his father's mining business.[3] He attended Darmstadt University and moved to New York in 1929 after making the journey aboard the RMS Franconia.
Gerhard von Hessert and his team finished seventh and last in the four-man event at the 1932 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. Germany was conferred overall the bronze medal, same as in the 1928 Games. The event was won by the United States.[4]
He married Cornelia Fitch Baekeland, granddaughter of Leo Baekeland, the inventor of Bakelite, in 1939. His wife had a minor role as an actress in the 1944 Rita Hayworth classic Cover Girl.[5]
External links
References
- ↑ Creighton, C. (1889) Jenner and Vaccination: A Strange Chapter of Medical History Jenner. Swan Sonnenschein & CoP. London. P. 229
- ↑ Sahmland, I. (1997) Die Anfänge der Schutzimpfung in Gießen. Gießener Universitätsblätter. Jahrgang 30. Brühlsche Universitätsdrückerei Gießen. Gießen. P. 51-62
- ↑ Wills, W.H. (2006) The Anglo-African Who's Who and Biographical Sketchbook, 1907. Jeppestown Press. London. P. 373.
- ↑ Lattimer, G.M. (1932) III Olympic Games Winter Games, Lake Placid 1932. III Olympic Winter Games Committee. Lake Placid. P. 246.
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1509098/