Dartmouth and Vermont Academy standout Warren Chivers dies at 91

By Published On: August 21st, 2006Comments Off on Dartmouth and Vermont Academy standout Warren Chivers dies at 91

Dartmouth and Vermont Academy standout Warren Chivers dies at 91{mosimage}
A Hanover, New Hampshire, native, Warren Chivers was a member of the Dartmouth College class of 1937, but graduated in 1938 as a result of his commitment to skiing. Throughout his college career, he was a member of the Dartmouth Outing Club and captain of the ski team. He was a member of the 1936 U.S. Olympic ski team, competing in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, in the nordic combined events, and was selected as an alternate to the alpine team.

He was subsequently named to the 1940 Olympic team, but those Games were canceled due to World War II. He was appointed chief of interval timing at the 1960 Squaw Valley Olympics and went on to coach the junior national nordic combined team in the mid-1960s.

From 1941 to 1946, Chivers served as an officer with the U.S. Naval Air Corps. His tours of duty took him to Annapolis, Maryland; Chapel Hill, North Carolina; northwest Africa; and finally to Deland, Florida, as commander of the Naval Air Station. There he met and married his wife, Jean B. Stubbs, in 1946.

Following completion of his military service, and having obtained a degree in geology from Dartmouth, he pursued a teaching and coaching career at Vermont Academy that spanned decades and influenced many young people. During that time, he directed the ski program, producing championship teams over many years as well as future Olympic athletes.

With the help of his students, Chivers constructed all of the ski facilities, including ski jumps, cross-country ski trails and an alpine ski area, complete with rope tow. He also directed the outdoor programs, introducing many young people to hunting, shooting, fishing, canoeing and an overall love of the outdoors.

Among the many honors in skiing Warren received in his lifetime, the most significant was his election to the United States Ski Hall of Fame in 1975, and most recently, to the Vermont Ski Museum Hall of Fame in 2005.

Friends are invited to attend a celebration of his life on Friday, Aug. 25 at 11 a.m. at the Warren Chivers Ski & Outdoor Education Center at Vermont Academy, Saxtons River, Vermont.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions for the purpose of assisting deserving students may be made to the Vermont Academy Scholarship Fund, Attn: Bob Barr, P.O. Box 500, Saxtons River, VT 05154.

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About the Author: Pete Rugh