Dartmouth Ski History Enshrined in West
Although nearly the full breadth of the nation away, Dartmouth fills an important niche in the displays of the Western America Skisport Museum in California, which was dedicated at the Boreal Ridge Ski Area on December 7, 1969. Robert O. Baumrucker '31, president of the Dartmouth Outing Club of Northern California, was among those attending the museum's official opening, sponsored by the Auburn Ski Club of California, and was mainly responsible for assembling the permanent exhibition showing Dartmouth's contribution to American skiing.
Under the heading "There are 4250 Dartmouth alumni in the western ski areas - this is the heritage they have brought," Mr. Baumrucker has arranged "a history in capsule form" of Dartmouth skiing and skiers. Clippings and magazine articles displayed include accounts of the first college meet between Dartmouth and McGill in 1914; the slalom and downhill races on Balch Hill, March 9, 1928, the first held with F.I.S. recognition; Dartmouth's first Olympic contestants in 1924 and 1928: John Carleton '22 and Charley Proctor '00; the first U.S. rope tow operated by Bunny Bertram '3l at Woodstock, Vt.; and the first western rope tow on Donner Summit, Calif., 1937-38, started by Johnny Ellis '34.
Photographs in the display are of 1911 Winter Carnival participants; the unbeatable ski team of 1936-37; Fred Harris '11, Carl Shumway '13, and Joe Cheney '13 making the first ascent on skis of Mt. Washington; and Charley Proctor '00, Coach Gerry Raab, and Herm Sander '30near the summit of Mt. Moosilauke. The skis flanking the display were used by Marv Chandler '32 in the first national downhill championship races sponsored by the National Ski Association over the D.O.C.'s Moosilauke down-mountain course on March 12, 1933.
Mr. Baumrucker notes further that he is "making a couple of trophy cases and devising some means of permanently displaying a mass of detailed clippings, publications, D.O.C. Annual Reports, Dartmouth Out-o-Doors and other source material in addition to the 75 out-of-print books on skiing I located plus the many Ski Annuals contributed along with many photos by alumni responding to the notice in the ALUMNI MAGAZINE last June."
For alumni in the Northern California area, the Western America Skisport Museum is open daily to the public. It is located at Boreal Ridge on Interstate 80, near the Tahoe-Squaw Valley-Sugar Bowl area. Just over the Boreal Ridge is the cabin of the D.O.C. of Northern California.
William B. Berry, longtime friend of Dartmouth skiers, serves as historian and chief builder of the Auburn Ski Club's new museum, "dedicated to preserving the past, present and future skiing history of Western North America." The Auburn Ski Club, organized in 1928 to provide warm shelter, cleared slopes, and the first engineered jumping hill in California, has installed a chapel on the upper floor of its museum. Since the dedication in December the Dartmouth display has been somewhat enlarged and more items will be added as they are received.
Chapman Wentworth '40, Lake Tahoe journalistic entrepreneur, looks on as R.O.Baumrucker '31, current president of the Dartmouth Outing Club of NorthernCalifornia, indicates the Dartmouth Winter Carnival competitors of 1911 andCarl Ward '32, DOC of NC treasurer, is on hand to see where the money went.
Close-up of one section of the Dartmouth display at the ski museum openedat Boreal Ridge in California. The skisflanking this case were used by MarvChandler '32 in the first national downhill championship races in 1933.
