Alex Morley, one of Jackson Hole’s founders, died November 1 at his home in Bend, Oregon, of pancreatic cancer. He was 96 years old.
Born in Cheyenne, Wyoming to Scottish immigrant parents, Morley began skiing at age 8 on skis he built himself under the guidance of his carpenter father. While earning a degree in civil engineering from Colorado A&M University he skied the Colorado Rockies. After Pearl Harbor, Morley joined the U.S. Army Air Force and flew 237 combat missions in the South Pacific, piloting C-47s on paratroop drops. Returning to Cheyenne, he started a homebuilding business, and spent vacations in Aspen. He retired in 1958, at age 40, intending to be a ski bum.
In 1961 Morley moved his family to Jackson Hole. With his neighbor Paul McCollister, Morley explored the Tetons for a ski area site. They settled on Rendezvous Mountain, just outside the southern boundary of the National Park. Morley secured a federal Economic Development Administration loan and launched construction of Teton Village. The partners opened Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in 1965.
Morley’s wife Rachel died in 2003. He is survived by sons Bruce (wife Martha) and Alex III (wife Dianne), and grandsons Scott, Ben and Blake Morley.
Add new comment