R. K. von Goldstein

Major R. K. von Goldstein  (died 1978) was an Indian educationist. He is primarily known for his stint as the headmaster of the Bishop Cotton School in Shimla, from 1963 till 1976.

Background
R.K. von Goldstein belonged to the von Goldstein family, which had had a long association with Shimla. He descended from Felix Carl von Goldstein (1834 - 1892), a disinherited German aristocrat from Leipzig who came to India just before the 'Sepoy Mutiny' in 1857. From 1876 until the year of his death, Felix von Goldstein was Director of Music to the Viceroys of India. Felix von Goldstein acquired much wealth, as evident from his purchase of two major properties of 19th century Shimla, Benmore and Wildflower Hall. The association of his descendants with Shimla ended with R.K. von Goldstein's death in 1978.

Education
R.K. von Goldstein studied in the Bishop Cotton School in Shimla where he was the house captain for Ibbetson House in 1927. After school he went on to study at Cambridge University. There also he was elected into the Hawks Club.

Career
R.K. von Goldstein served as a Major in the British-Indian Army and was awarded the War Service Award. He was also made a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

He taught at Bishop Cotton School, Shimla, in the 1930s, and after that he went on to teach at Aitchison College in Lahore. He returned to Bishop Cotton as headmaster in 1963, a position he held until 1976. In 1972, Benazir Bhutto visited Bishop Cotton, while R.K. von Goldstein was the headmaster. He is the only Old Cottonian who has been headmaster at the school.

Memorials
In his memory, the school holds The Major R.K. Von Goldstein Memorial Cricket Tournament.