Skiing Heritage News

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Richard Kohnstamm, 80

Rescued and managed Timberline Lodge

Government Camp, Ore., April 25, 2006 Richard L. Kohnstamm, who transformed Timberline Lodge into a national skiing institution in the 1950s, died last Friday after becoming ill at his family s cabin on Mount Hood. He was 80 years old.

Kohnstamm assumed management of the Depression-era Timberline Lodge in 1956, after it had been closed for several months. He extended the resort's summer skiing onto the permanent snowfield. He later convinced the federal government to construct the Wy'East Day Lodge to spare Timberline from the daily toll of skier traffic. Timberline, built as a public works project in 1937, is now a National Historic Landmark.

In 1992, Kohnstamm s contributions to the growth of the sport and creation of a resort icon led to his induction into the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame and Museum in Ishpeming, Mich.

Kohnstamm is survived by his wife, Molly; sons, Jeff, John, Kevin and David; and 10 grandchildren.

This report is based on material from Ski Area Management and information from Morten Lund.

Also see Dick Kohnstamm article.

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The International Skiing History Association is a not-for-profit corporation, whose mission is to preserve and advance the knowledge of ski history and to increase public awareness of the sport's heritage.

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