Friedl Pfeiffer Papers

Collection

Identifier: M2027

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The collection includes: biographical information compiled by David Miller (n.d.); clippings (ca.1980, n.d.); transcript of an interview with CBS Sunday Morning (1994).

Dates

circa 1980, 1994

Creator

Pfeiffer, Friedl,1911-1995. (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Copyright

All requests for permission to publish, reproduce, or quote from material in the collection should be discussed with the appropriate librarian or archivist. Permission for publication may be given on behalf of the Denver Public Library as the owner of the physical item. It is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which also must be obtained by the customer. The Library does not assume any responsibility for infringement of copyright or publication rights of the manuscript held by the writer, heirs, donors, or executors. Reproduction restrictions are decided on a case-by-case basis.

Biographical / Historical

Friedl Pfeiffer was born in Austria in 1911. During the 1930s he became one of Europe's premier ski racers and instructors. After coming to the U.S., Pfeiffer was head of the Mount Hood, Or. ski school; instructor at the Sun Valley Ski Resort; and U.S. Olympic ski coach. With the outbreak of World War II, he was initially jailed as an enemy alien, but was released and enlisted in the Army at Salt Lake City, Utah in 1943. At the time of Pfieffer's enlistment he was not yet an American citizen, married and had completed two years of high school. He joined the 10th Mountain Division at Camp Hale, Colo. and was assigned to the 10th Mountain Cavalry Reconnaissance, later serving with the Mountain Training Group and Company A of the 87th Infantry Regiment. Pfeiffer transferred to Camp Swift, Tex. before being sent to Italy. He was wounded in action at Le Coste in April 1945. He had attained the rank of Sergeant. Following the war, Pfeiffer was instrumental in the development of the Aspen, Colo. ski area. He died in 1995.