The Durango Winter Sports Foundation will add another member to its Hall of Fame.
Walter Jackson was announced as this year’s inductee by the foundation, which helps fund the Durango Nordic Ski Club and Purgatory Ski Team.
Jackson is the 19th member of the DWSF Hall of Fame.
“Walter Jackson has been an inspiration for the ski community throughout Colorado,” the DWSF said in a news release. “
Jackson grew up in Leadville and attended Western State, competing in cross country, downhill, jumping and slalom. He placed second in the “Skimeister” by competing in all four events, and he also placed second in the NCAA cross country national championship. He was twice voted as “Best Skier” by Western State, and he is a member of the Western State Hall of Fame.
After completing college, Jackson served in the U.S. Army and skied on the U.S. Biathlon Team in the 1958 FIS World Championships in Finland and the 1960 Winter Olympics in California.
With a rifle on his back and skis on his feet, Jackson was a force in competition. He competed in the World Biathlon Championships in 1958 in Austria and again in 1959 in Italy.
After his discharge from the military, Jackson went back to Gunnison to attend graduate school at Western State and was the assistant ski coach to Sven Wiik.
After receiving a graduate degree, Jackson came to Durango to teach science in the Smiley Junior High School. He stayed involved in skiing, coaching the Durango High School team to two Colorado High School Activities Association state championships.
“The time I spent coaching high school and junior high skiing were among the best years of my life,” Jackson said in the news release. “For me it was all about the kids.”
He also coached the Rocky Mountain Division Ski Team that competed in the Junior National Championships.
Eventually, Jackson would serve as the Superintendent of Schools for Durango School District 9-R from 1991-96.
Jackson went to post graduate school and returned to Durango and coached the junior high ski program until accepting an administrative job with Summit Schools from 1981-91. He was named the Summit County Citizen of the Year in 1986 and the Colorado Outstanding Rural School Superintendent in 1989 before returning to Durango as a superintendent.
He is also a member of the Lake County Sports Hall of Fame.
heraldsports@durangoherald.com
