Gaston Vidal

Gaston Vidal was a French politician and sports leader.

Career

Vidal began his professional career as a teacher at a primary school of Moulins, Allier. In 1914, he joined the Chasseurs Alpins and was promoted to captain because of his brilliant talent. In 1919, he was elected as municipal councilor at Vichy.
Later, he became general councilor of Moulins-East from 1919 to 1925 and Republican Socialist delegate for Allier to the National Assembly for 1919 to 1924 and member of the military commissions and military pensions.
He also became Undersecretary of State for Technical Education from 17 January 1921 to 29 March 1924, when Aristide Briand and Raymond Poincaré. He later became a general councilor of Vichy from 1927 to 1928.

Sports

He chaired the Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques (USFSA). After the First World War, he created single-sport federations for football, rugby, swimming and field hockey. He was also a member of the French National Olympic and Sports Committee. He took a decisive role alongside, Frantz Reichel, in preparing the Paris Olympics in 1924. Vidal was succeeded by Justinian Clary, from 1925 to 1931.