Samuel Courtauld (1876- 1947) was an English industrialist and art collector who founded the Courtauld Institute of Art in 1932.
His ancestors were Huguenot refugee silk weavers who left France in the late sixteenth century. They settled in Essex and continued their silk weaving trade. The family business grew over time and eventually became a major local and international company in the early twentieth century.
Although the family appeared to have no interest in art or art collecting, Courtauld’s interest developed late in his life. He had a passion for modern art, such as the works of Gaugin, and bequeathed his wonderful collection to the Courtauld Institute upon his death in 1947.
Source: http://www.artandarchitecture.org.uk/stories/cumming_gauguin/cumming_gauguin03.html