This gun is really an important piece to several realms of gun collectors, Not just rare Colt Collectors, but Military Collectors, and Harvard University Collectors. Let’s start my talking about the gun, it is one of a pair that were presented to Constant Cordier, Harvard Professor of Military Science & Tactics, founding member of The Harvard Regiment (precursor to the ROTC). Also presented to him along with these 2 Colt’s was a similarly engraved Saber, which resides on display on Harvard’s Campus: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2012/03/renewing-harvard-army-ties/

The gun is lettered, stunning condition, original Checkered and Carved Factory Ivory grips, gun looks to be original parts, I do think this gun may have an old, professional restored finish, but is proper pre-war furnace blue. The gun was brought in from Australia by Simpson, they would not share any further info as to who had it there, note at least one of the pair was owned by a gentleman by the name of Max Holden in Michigan in 1961, curiously, it appears Max travelled to Cuba in 1955.

Now lets deep dive into who Constant Cordier is. Cordier, born about 1880 in Louisiana, he joined the military as a young adult, and as early as July 1900 I see him recorded as a 2nd Lieutenant on roll sheets. He continued moving up and touring the world and at least 6-8 US Mainland Military bases, including serving in the Philippines during the Moro Rebellion. Served as a liaison in several South American Posts, some records also place him travelling thru Mexico at the time. He was in Panama while the shovels still had mud on them and ships had yet to make the crossing.

By 1914, the Great War was kicking off, and Cordier was stationed in Boston as Captain of Army Recruiting for the upcoming US involvement in WWI. This is when in 1915/16 Harvard University and the US Govt decided the country should be training Military Tactics, not just in the classroom, and Harvard formed the Harvard Regiment, headed by Constant Cordier. Constant brought his experiences in global warfare to Harvard students and enrolled 1000 young men to his Regiment the first year, the Harvard Regiment would go on to become the blueprint for ROTC programs nationwide. Cordier even got the University to hire French military men to come teach trench warfare to the students, which including digging a maze of trenches on campus. January 1916 Cordier gave his first instruction to the group, and upon inspection by Major-General Leonard Wood in April of the same year Cordier was praised and Awarded this Colt, and an Honorary Masters degree by the University.

Cordier would formerly retire in 1919 at the end of WWI as a Colonel, but had Moved to DC at that time, and Ellis Island logs show him travelling extensively in the years between the wars, I get the feeling his retirement was merely ‘official’. Looking at the locations and the times I suspect he continued to work with and consult for Uncle Sam until his death in 1940. He travelled to Cuba as the Sugar markets collapsed in 1920, Chile in 1921, France in 1925, Italy as Mussolini rose to power in 1928, France in 1930, France after the Socialist/Communist win power in 1936. These don’t sound like they were all vacations to me ;-)

Please review all the pictures and check out some of the documentation I was able to put together and it will all be included with the gun. Constant Cordier led an impressive life, and clearly left an impression everywhere he went, to be presented with 2 very special Colts and a matching Sabre his first 6 Months on the job at Harvard! A truly rare and historical piece, with ties to 3 of America’s oldest institutions, The US Army, Harvard University, and Colt Firearms.

Links of interest:

Obituary: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/204655662/constant-cordier?_gl=1*fkcmuk*_gcl_au*Mjk2OTQ5NTcuMTc2MzQ4NDA5MQ..*_ga*MTc5MTI1ODQ0LjE3NjM0ODQwOTI.*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*czY5MTMyYjZkLThhNWYtNDI2OC1iYTQyLTE0ODNlNmZjZWQ3ZCRvNiRnMSR0MTc2Nzg5MTQ3MSRqNDkkbDAkaDA.*_ga_LMK6K2LSJH*czY5MTMyYjZkLThhNWYtNDI2OC1iYTQyLTE0ODNlNmZjZWQ3ZCRvNiRnMSR0MTc2Nzg5MTQ3MSRqNDkkbDAkaDA.

Articles from the Harvard University Newspaper:

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1916/9/22/capt-cordier-detailed-as-instructor-in/

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1917/1/10/regiments-birthday-today-pon-the-occasion/

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1940/9/5/large-scale-training-is-considered-not/

Email me with any Questions: kgbcustoms@gmail.com

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