John Elliot Cowdin

John Elliot Cowdin (March 22, 1858 – January 7, 1941) was an American polo player.^[1]

John Elliot Cowdin
Born	March 22, 1858 Boston, Massachusetts
Died	January 7, 1941 New York City, New York & East Norwich, Connecticut
Education	Harvard University
Occupation	Silk merchant
Spouse(s)	Gertrude Cheever (d. 1908), Madeline Knowlton (d. 1950)
Children	Ethel, Elliott Channing Cowdin, John Cheever
Parent(s)	Elliot Christopher Cowdin Sarah Katharine Waldron

Rodolphe Louis Agassiz, James Montaudevert Waterbury Jr., John Elliott Cowdin, Lawrence Waterbury and Foxhall P. Keene in 1902 for the International Polo Cup

Early life and career

Cowdin was born on March 22, 1858, to Elliot Christopher Cowdin and Sarah Katharine Waldron. His father was a prominent New York businessman and a member of the 100th New York State Legislature.

Cowdin played for the Rockaway Polo Club.^[1] He won the 1902 International Polo Cup and the first U.S. Open Polo Championship in 1904.^[1] He also won the Association and Added Cups, the Governor's Challenge Cup and the Senior Championship in 1896, 1899, 1902 and 1903.^[1]

His wife died on May 3, 1908, after a short illness while in Paris, France.^[2]

He married Gertrude Cheever with whom he had a daughter and two sons. In 1912, his second marriage was to Madeleine Knowlton.^[3]

He died on January 7, 1941.

Legacy

He was inducted into the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame in 2007.^[1] One of his sons, John Cheever Cowdin, was also a top level polo player.