Alex Morley, Co-founder of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Died at 96

  Business

Alex Morley died October 31, 2015 due to pancreatic cancer.

He was known as the American ski executive and co-founder of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort,

With over a century of development work in Wyoming, the Morley family has a rich history around the state.

Alex started spending summers in Jackson Hole and skiing Snow King in the 1950’…

In 1961 Alex and his family moved from Cheyenne, where he had been a successful general contractor and built a house on Antelope Flats, near the McCollisters.

Paul McCollister an advertiser in California, who had moved his family from the California Bay Area to the remote and wild valley of Jackson Hole.

Paul and Alex Morley became acquainted, together they had a dream of building a ski area.

They first considered Cache Creek, then Static Peak in GTNP in the 1960’s; both Rainier and Rocky Mountain National Parks had small ski areas.

Paul and Alex formed the Jackson Hole Ski Corporation in 1963, along with Gordon Graham, a former business associate of Paul’s and Dr. King Curtis, both early investment partners in the resort.

Alex’s political connections in Wyoming with Governor Clifford Hansen and Senators Milward Simpson and Gale McGee, that lead him to obtain the federally subsidized EDA loan.

Alex, who was the developer/contractor, built the ski area and the early Village on land which he and Paul brought together from the Crystal Springs girls’ dude ranch at the base.

When they built the Mountain and started running it for a few years, Paul bought out Alex’s half.

Paul ran the business for over 30 years. Alex visited the resort often because one of his 2 sons that lives in Jackson Hole.

Alex Morley passed away at age 96 due to pancreatic cancer on October 31, 2015.