Pol-Clovis, Baron Boël was a Belgian

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 industrialist, Director of the Usines Gustave Boël in La Louvière

La Louvière

La Louvière is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut. La Louvière's municipality includes the old communes of Haine-Saint-Paul, Haine-Saint-Pierre, Saint-Vaast, Trivières, Boussoit, Houdeng-Aimeries, Houdeng-Gœgnies, Maurage, and Strépy-Bracquegnies...

, and liberal

Liberalism

Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...

 politician.

Born in Saint-Vaast

La Louvière

La Louvière is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut. La Louvière's municipality includes the old communes of Haine-Saint-Paul, Haine-Saint-Pierre, Saint-Vaast, Trivières, Boussoit, Houdeng-Aimeries, Houdeng-Gœgnies, Maurage, and Strépy-Bracquegnies...

, he was a son of Gustave Boël

Gustave Boël

Gustave André Boël was a Belgian industrialist and liberal politician. He was the father of Pol Clovis Boël.-Career:...

. He married Marthe de Kerchove de Denterghem

Marthe de Kerchove de Denterghem

Marthe Boël born Marthe de Kerchove de Denterghem was a Belgian feminist. She was the third daughter of the liberal senator Count Oswald de Kerchove de Denterghem and Maria Lippens, daughter of August Lippens....

. Their eldest daughter Marie-Anne Boël, married Charles-Emmanuel Janssen

Charles-Emmanuel Janssen

Charles Jean Emmanuel Janssen , was a Belgian liberal deputy of Walloon Brabant. He was married to Marie-Anne Boël, daughter of the Vice-president of the Belgian Senate Pol Boël...

, while their younger daughter Eva Boël (1883–1956), married Felix Goblet d'Alviella

Félix Goblet d'Alviella

Félix, Count Goblet d'Alviella was a Belgian lawyer, director of the Revue de Belgique, alderman and Olympic fencer. He was married to Eva Boël , and was the father of Jean Goblet d'Alviella...

. Their son, René Boël

René Boël

Count René Boël was a Belgian banker and industrialist and Director of the Usines Gustave Boël. He was married with Yvonne Solvay , granddaughter of Ernest Solvay. They have two sons Yves Boël and Pol Boël.-Career:...

 (1899–1990), married Yvonne Solvay (1896–1930).

Career

When Gustave Boël died in 1912, his son Pol-Clovis carried on the diversification of the family business. One of his most prominent successes in this area was in chemicals with the Société anonyme de fabrication des engrais azoté (Safea) (nitrate

Nitrate

The nitrate ion is a polyatomic ion with the molecular formula NO and a molecular mass of 62.0049 g/mol. It is the conjugate base of nitric acid, consisting of one central nitrogen atom surrounded by three identically-bonded oxygen atoms in a trigonal planar arrangement. The nitrate ion carries a...

 fertilizers). Pol-Clovis also invested in UCB

UCB (company)

UCB is a multinational biopharmaceutical manufacturing company headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.- History :UCB was founded on 18 January 1928 by Emmanuel Janssen, a Belgian businessman...

, founded by Emmanuel Janssen

Emmanuel Janssen

Emmanuel Janssen was a Belgian businessman, who founded the Union Chimique Belge in Brussels, Belgium, in 1928. UCB was one of the first companies in the world to distill ammonia from coal.-References:...

, and in Solvay

Solvay (company)

Solvay S.A. is a Belgian chemical company with its head office in Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium. It was founded in 1863 by Ernest Solvay to produce sodium carbonate by the solvay process. Since then the company has diversified to two major sectors of activity: chemicals and plastics...

, founded by Ernest Solvay

Ernest Solvay

Ernest Gaston Joseph Solvay was a Belgian chemist, industrialist and philanthropist.Born at Rebecq, he was prevented by acute pleurisy from going to university...

.

In 1928, Pol-Clovis Boël founded a financial entity: l'Union financière Boël, ancestor of several financial holdings, such as Sofina

Sofina

Sofina, Société Financière de Transports et d'Entreprises Industrielles, is a Belgian holding company, headquartered in Brussels, which invests in several industrial sectors such as Telecommunication , Portfolio companies, Banks and Insurance , Private Equity , Services within the Company ,...

, Henex, Moustier. After World War I, \Boël entered the world of Belgian finance, taking part in the creation of the Bank of Brussels and the Société Générale de Belgique

Société Générale de Belgique

The Société Générale de Belgique was one of the largest companies that ever existed in Belgium. It was founded in 1822 by William I, and existed until 2003, when its then sole shareholder, Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux, merged it with Tractebel to form Suez-Tractebel.-History:As part of the terms of the...

. In 1929, he was granted the title of baron by King Albert I of Belgium

Albert I of Belgium

Albert I reigned as King of the Belgians from 1909 until 1934.-Early life:Born Albert Léopold Clément Marie Meinrad in Brussels, he was the fifth child and second son of Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders, and his wife, Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen...

.

Pol Clovis died in Brussels

Brussels

Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...

in 1941.

Sources

• Dutrieue, Anne-Myriam, in : Kurgan-van Hentenrijk, Ginette, Jaumain, Serge, Montens, Valérie, ea, Dictionnaire des patrons en Belgique. Les hommes, les entreprises, les reseaux, Bruxelles, De Boeck and Larcier, 1996, p. 61-62.
• Douxchamps, José, Présence nobiliaire au parlement belge (1830–1970). Notes généalogiques, Wépion-Namen, José Douxchamps, 2003, p. 13.