 |
Colorado
Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame  William V. Hodges, Jr. 1911-1992 Inducted into the Colorado Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame 1990 | Home | Back to Alphabetical List | Year of Induction List | Back to Athlete | Back to Ski Sport Builder | Back to Inspirational | |
Willie was born in Denver in 1911. He attended Yale University and Harvard Law School in the early 30's. In 1935, he became a member of the Colorado Arlberg Club and was president of that organization from 1937-40. In addition to his helping raise funds for the development of Winter Park, he was very involved in marking and clearing trails at Berthoud and Winter Park.
After serving in the US Navy from 1941-45, Willie became the secretary of the newly formed Aspen Skiing Corporation and the Aspen Hotel Company. He helped arrange the purchase of land to start Sardy Field as Aspen's airport in 1948. As chairman of the Denver Finance Committee from 1948-50, Willie helped raise funds for the first FIS World Alpine Ski Championships held in the US in 1950 at Aspen. He was elected president of the Aspen Skiing Corporation from 1951-1961, overseeing the mountain's growth and helping it to become America's premier destination ski resort, while establishing Colorado as one of the best places to ski in the world.
Willie also served as a president of the Denver & Colorado Convention & Visitors Bureau, where he implemented the first regular published Colorado snow reports. Willie remained active in civic affairs and clubs in Denver and served as counsel for the law firm Davis, Graham & Stubbs.