Whip Jones
Whipple Van Ness Jones | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | November 8, 1909 |
| Died | June 29, 2001 (aged 91) |
| Other names | Whip |
| Occupations |
|
| Title | founder of Aspen Highlands |
Whipple Van Ness "Whip" Jones (November 8, 1909 – June 29, 2001) was a ski industry pioneer, founder, developer and the original operator for 35 years, of the
Early years
Jones was born in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, to Esther Olin Whipple (1884–1977) and Frank William Jones I (1876–1936). He was a 1932 graduate of Harvard University.[1]
Founder of Aspen Highlands
Jones was the builder and the owner of the Aspen Highlands, one of the four ski areas of Aspen, Colorado.
Jones started the project on his own, and laid out a well-balanced set of ski runs: 25% beginner, 50% intermediate, 25% advanced. Jones financed the project by selling the lumber from the cleared ski runs and using low cost labor.[2] The base area of Highlands Mountain is located 1+1⁄2 miles from the village of Aspen.
Supreme Court antitrust case
Throughout his ownership,
(1985) with Jones winning over $10 million in treble damages.Death
On June 29, 2001 he died in Tallahassee, Florida.[3]
Harvard endowment
Jones donated the Highlands to Harvard University in 1992.[2] The $18.3 million gift remains one of the largest donations the University has ever received. The proceeds endow the "Whipple V.N. Jones Cornerstone Scholarship Fund" and the "Whipple V.N. Jones Professor of Economics Chair" once held by Andrei Shleifer[1] and currently held by Xiao-Li Meng.
See also
References
- ^ "Ski Merger May Perk Up Aspen". NY Times. November 20, 1993. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
- ^ a b "Whip Jones". www.coloradoskihalloffame.com. Retrieved 2020-07-27.
- ^ "Jones, Whipple Van Ness Obituary". The New York Times. July 3, 2001. section A, page 15. Archived from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved November 9, 2023.