George M. Cole
George M. Cole (August 20, 1853 – November 23, 1933) was the 32nd Adjutant General of Connecticut. Born in Portsmouth, England, he moved to the United States with his family and later worked in a grain business in New London, Connecticut. He began his military career in the National Guard, serving in Massachusetts (1875), Indiana (1882), and Connecticut (1884).
In Connecticut, Cole advanced through the ranks of the Third Infantry Regiment, holding positions from sergeant to captain and adjutant. He served on the Mexican border and, during the Spanish‑American War, was appointed lieutenant colonel of the 4th United States Volunteer Infantry.
On January 9, 1901, Governor George P. McLean named him Adjutant General of Connecticut, a post he held for 28 years. He helped expand the state’s National Guard, adding an air wing and promoting modernization and wartime growth. In World War I, he oversaw Connecticut’s draft and the mobilization of state troops; in May 1917 he entered Federal service as a Disbursing Agent and Officer of the United States until May 1919.
In 1929, a special act allowed him to retire with the rank of major general. Cole remained active in veterans’ organizations and led Connecticut’s military community. He married Emily Judson Beckwith in 1877, and they had four children.
George M. Cole died on November 23, 1933, in West Hartford, Connecticut, at age 80, from arteriosclerosis.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 20:18 (CET).