For over half a century, Hassan Abdal Cadet College has set a standard for academic excellence. Founding member, Hugh Catchpole, dedicated his life to creating an environment where quality education and character development went hand in hand. Mr. Catchpole had previously served as principal for the Rashtriya Military College in Dehradun. In 1952, his former students convinced him to come to Pakistan. He established a cadet college in Hasan Abdal, actively participating in the construction and even personally funding some of the infrastructure.
As principal, he laid a foundation and built a tradition that the college cherishes to date. He encouraged his boys to play cricket and behave as gentlemen. He had not only dedicated his life to teaching Pakistani students, but had also spent every penny of his savings on supporting education in Pakistan. Even after retiring at the age of 60, he continued his mission by teaching English at Abbottabad Public School.
Mr. Catchpole was awarded both Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by the British Government for his services. In 1979, he was awarded Sitara-i-Imtiaz and in 2007, Hilal-i-Imtiaz. Perhaps his greatest recognition though is in the form of the generations of officers and gentlemen his mentoring helped shape.
Hugh Catchpole died on 1 February 1997 in Abbottabad. His last wish was to be buried at the Cadet College where he had always been the happiest.
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