Aspen History: Friedl Pfeiffer’s crew got schooled in 1946

“Ski School ready for winter activity,” announced The Aspen Times on Dec. 12, 1946. “The Friedl Pfeiffer Ski School, with John Litchfield and Percy Rideout as associate directors, is ready for the public. For the last week and a half Friedl has been conducting his preseason instructor’s school. Friedl, Johnny and Percy claim that skiing is not hard to learn when the teaching is of the proper sort. It is vitally important that all instructors be familiar with all phases of the operation of the school in order that a uniformity of instruction is presented throughout the school. To this end, every afternoon for the past week or more, the instructors have been going to school. Those who have been attending the school and who will wear the grey sweater with the green and white stripes on the arm signifying an instructor in the Aspen ski school are, in addition to Friedl, Johnny and Percy: Mrs. Litchfield, Mrs. Fitzgerald, Marshall Fitzgerald, Andy Ransom, Walter Haug, Dick Wright, Donnie Elisha, Pete Seibert and Leonard Woods. From the wealth of talent and experience that they have on hand, Friedl, Johnny, and Percy should have one of the finest ski schools in the country.”

This image shows most of the members of Aspen’s first ski school (Marshall Fitzgerald, Andy Ransom, Dick Wright, Lenny Woods, Percy Rideout, Lib Fitzgerald and Walter Haug) standing in front of the meeting place sign, 1946.