Dick Goetzman - Richard Goetzman, USSA president

Dick Goetzman, USSA
and Hall of Fame president

Dick Goetzman, for decades a board member of both the U.S. Ski Association and the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame, died April 3, 2007 in Long Beach, Calif., after a long illness. He was 78.

Dick served as president of the Far West Ski Association in 1969-71, of the USSA in 1974-76, and of the Hall of Fame in 1998-2004.

“He was a tireless volunteer, putting in untold amounts of time to serve USSA, the Hall of Fame, and, among others, the Far West Ski Association,” said Bill Marolt, president and CEO of USSA. “I’m not sure how he made time for so much, but I’m glad he was so committed because Dick made a huge difference for so many athletes through the years.”

Among the other organizations Dick served was ISHA. He joined the ISHA Board of Directors shortly after the death of founder Mason Beekley. “He was a tower of strength at a time when the Association’s survival was anything but certain,” said John Fry, president of ISHA during that period. “He immediately saw the potential benefits of bringing ISHA closer together with the Hall of Fame. As a result, Skiing Heritage became the official publication of the Ski Hall of Fame.”

Dick also served as president of Los Angeles Council of Ski Clubs, and as treasurer of the Mammoth Lakes Foundation. There, he contributed to housing the Beekley International Collection of Skiing Art and Literature in a specially constructed museum at Mammoth Lakes. He chaired the organizing committee for ISHA’s very successful 2004 Gathering at Mammoth.

Dick was president of Goetzman and Associates, an accounting firm, and was named a trustee of the U.S. Ski Educational Foundation in 1968. The Far West Ski Association honored him with the Stanley Mullin Award in 1969 and the Hans Georg Award in 1986. He was given the Julius P. Blegen Award by USSA in 1978.