Walter Paepcke

Walter, who supposedly gave up the sport after only a few tries, is one of skiing's greatest benefactors, participant or not. It was in 1945 that Walter, board chairman of the Container Corporation of America, first saw the Roaring Fork Valley and met Friedl Pfeifer. Out of those contacts came the fulfillment of Walter's dream of a place where the nation's leaders could be revitalized, intellectually and physically In the early 1950s, he established the Aspen Company, which began restoring the historic town and led to the founding of the Aspen Skiing Company, which would make Aspen an international resort destination and popularize the sport of skiing in the United States. In addition, Walter and his wife, Elizabeth, founded the Aspen Music Festival and School in 1949. He served as the festival's director until 1954. For his efforts, Mayor Michael Garrish proclaimed February 11 Walter Paepcke Memorial Ski Day in Aspen in 1962. This day was honored in conjunction with the first world professional championships taking place.