Joseph T. Zoline
Encyclopedia
Joseph T. Zoline was the founder and developer of Telluride Ski Resort
. He was born in Chicago
, the child of Russian immigrants, he went on to work his way through the University of Chicago
where he gained highest honors both as an undergraduate and at the Law School. In 1939 Zoline married Janice "Jebby" Kahnweiler.
He rose to the top of his profession as a corporation lawyer. This opened other business opportunities, and he became the chief executive for several corporations, including Carte Blanche, one of the first credit cards, MSL Industries, and Chicago's Arlington Race Track.
In 1968, when Zoline first came to Telluride
, the town was a shadow of its former self. The population was under 500. Zoline set about developing the Telluride Ski Resort
; planning, designing and building the runs, planning and erecting the lifts, developing the much needed bed base, developing the ski patrol, ski school, general staff, on-mountain facilities, ticketing, marketing, early real estate planning and development, steering the whole complex financial entity through the hard days of national economic downturn were only some of the moving parts that had to be managed.
He and Jebby spent most of this period in Telluride
. Zoline took the greatest care in every aspect of planning and execution, from 1968 when he began, to 1978 when he sold to Ron Allred and his partner in Benchmark Companies, A.J. (Jim) Wells.
Zoline hired French Olympian skier Emile Allais
to scope out the ferociously difficult terrain and resolve lifts and runs into a coherent ski mountain. Additionally, he hired ecologists and environmental planners to protect the mountain.
Telluride Ski Resort
Telluride Ski Resort is a ski resort located in Mountain Village, Colorado right next to Telluride.The resort was founded by Joseph T. Zoline who hoped to build a "world class resort" from scratch. Telluride's remoteness, Zoline acknowledged, is also what makes the resort special. Weekend warrior...
. He was born in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, the child of Russian immigrants, he went on to work his way through the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
where he gained highest honors both as an undergraduate and at the Law School. In 1939 Zoline married Janice "Jebby" Kahnweiler.
He rose to the top of his profession as a corporation lawyer. This opened other business opportunities, and he became the chief executive for several corporations, including Carte Blanche, one of the first credit cards, MSL Industries, and Chicago's Arlington Race Track.
In 1968, when Zoline first came to Telluride
Telluride, Colorado
The town of Telluride is the county seat and most populous town of San Miguel County in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Colorado. The town is a former silver mining camp on the San Miguel River in the western San Juan Mountains...
, the town was a shadow of its former self. The population was under 500. Zoline set about developing the Telluride Ski Resort
Telluride Ski Resort
Telluride Ski Resort is a ski resort located in Mountain Village, Colorado right next to Telluride.The resort was founded by Joseph T. Zoline who hoped to build a "world class resort" from scratch. Telluride's remoteness, Zoline acknowledged, is also what makes the resort special. Weekend warrior...
; planning, designing and building the runs, planning and erecting the lifts, developing the much needed bed base, developing the ski patrol, ski school, general staff, on-mountain facilities, ticketing, marketing, early real estate planning and development, steering the whole complex financial entity through the hard days of national economic downturn were only some of the moving parts that had to be managed.
He and Jebby spent most of this period in Telluride
Telluride, Colorado
The town of Telluride is the county seat and most populous town of San Miguel County in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Colorado. The town is a former silver mining camp on the San Miguel River in the western San Juan Mountains...
. Zoline took the greatest care in every aspect of planning and execution, from 1968 when he began, to 1978 when he sold to Ron Allred and his partner in Benchmark Companies, A.J. (Jim) Wells.
Zoline hired French Olympian skier Emile Allais
Émile Allais
Émile Allais is a former champion alpine ski racer from France; he won all three events at the 1937 world championships in Chamonix and the gold in the combined in 1938...
to scope out the ferociously difficult terrain and resolve lifts and runs into a coherent ski mountain. Additionally, he hired ecologists and environmental planners to protect the mountain.
External links
- New York Times Obituary
- http://articles.latimes.com/2004/oct/15/local/me-zoline15
- http://magazine.uchicago.edu/0412/alumni/deaths.shtml
- http://books.google.com/books?id=bFgEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA46&ots=GjzbGy2eel&dq=joseph%20t.%20zoline&pg=PA46#v=onepage&q=joseph%20t.%20zoline&f=false