Promotional Statement
The National Ski Association was organized by the Ishpeming Ski Club in 1904-1905, and remained the National Ski Association until 1962, when it was renamed the United States Ski Association. The formation of the National Ski Association in Ishpeming is the primary reason the National Ski Hall of Fame and Museum is located in our community.
The concept of a National Ski Museum was put forward by Harold A. Grinden, National Lifetime Historian, at the 1938 National Ski
Association Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was supported by Roger Langley and Arthur Barth at a special banquet in Ishpeming in 1944, during
World War II. Roger Langley, Art Barth, Harold Grinden, and National Ski Association Treasurer John Hostvedt proposed that the National Ski Museum be constructed in Ishpeming. Due to the war, the Ishpeming Ski Club could not
formally act until 1947, when a National Ski Museum Committee was
established. A plan was worked out and, in the fall of 1948 at the National Ski Association Convention in Chicago, Illinois, the plan was approved.
At the 1950 National Ski Convention, a National Museum
Corporation was established, and Federal 501(c)(3) status was obtained. Land was purchased in a residential area in Ishpeming, the building was designed, and construction began in 1953. In February 1954, the building was dedicated. Meanwhile, Grinden noted that other sports chose to honor their "greats" by Hall of Fame induction. In 1955, he proposed that the name be changed to the National Ski Hall of Fame and rules for selection were established. The first enshrinees were named in 1956, and since that
time, women and men have been elected and inducted to the Hall of
Fame.
The Hall of Fame remained at its original site until 1992, when, with its walls bulging, the Executive Committee set out to find a new site to build a larger building. In 1989, a site was obtained on U.S. Highway 41, the main east-west thoroughfare across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and construction of a new home for the Hall of Fame, more that six
times as large as the old building, was set to begin. A ground-breaking ceremony for the building took place on March 3, 1989.
The year 1993 marked our first full year of operation, opening the doors to the public for the first time over the July 4, 1992 weekend, with the formal dedication of the building in October, 1991. New first-class displays were constructed.
One depicted the Birkebeiners, a diorama showing two Norwegian "ski
troopers" carrying the infant King Haakon over the mountains to safety in 1206. Another display shows ferocious battles in the Italian campaign, illustrated in a large mural painted by a local artist, Roger Junak. Other
displays show the various forms of uphill transportation on the slopes, such as a World War II "Weasel" which was used as a groomer at Sun Valley, Idaho in its early years.
A gift shop offering fine quality items is located in the lobby. The Roland Palmedo National Ski Library, one of the finest ski libraries in the country, is housed here as well. In our
auditorium, a most interesting 20 minute orientation film is shown to
visitors. The "great room" houses panels and biographical sketches of the Honored Members, many of the national trophies, and a "Walk Through Ski History," beginning with a replica of a ski and pole dug out of Swedish bogs dating back some 4000 years, including the Olympic medal won by Anders Haugen in 1924 (America's first Olympic medal), and moving through modern times.
Several additional employees and unpaid volunteers were added,
and the work serving skisport was begun on a new and more efficient level. Today, we continue to grow and prosper. The addition of a new computer system greatly enhances our operation, enabling us to build an up-to-date website to continue to serve our sport even more efficiently.
Since our opening of the new building, we have had visitors from all 50 states and around 35 foreign countries.