Rockwell Stephens

Rockwell Rittenhouse Stephens (b. February 16 1900, Portland, Oregon; d. October, 1982, in South Woodstock, Vermont) was a journalist, author and ski instructor. He was an early member of the National Ski Patrol, joining in 1938, receiving member No. 74. [ [http://www.socalnsp.org/index.php?page=awards/napt0500 Members 1-500 listed at California Ski Patrol website.] ]

Career

From 1921-26 he worked at the "Chicago Daily News", writing about sport, autos and travel. He was president of Ski Sport Inc. of Boston from 1933-43. He joined the faculty of the Putney School, Putney, Vermont, in 1952, and Woodstock Country School, Woodstock, Vermont, from 1953 to 1962. After moving to Vermont, he became a frequent contributor to the magazine "Vermont Life". ["Contemporary Authors", Thomson Gale, January 1, 2004]

Retiring to South Woodstock, Vermont, he became a tree harvester on his property there. His book on the subject "One Man's Forest" is still available, though there have been no recent printings.

Rockwell Stephens was a grandchild of Susanna Rittenhouse, of Germantown, Pennsylvania, and possibly was related to David Rittenhouse, after whom Rittenhouse Square is named.

One of his assignments at the Chicago Daily News was to report on routes for long distance travel. Before the U.S. Route system and the Interstate Highway System, long distance automobile travel was dependent on a knowledge of State, County and Local highways, many not well signposted. Rockwell Stephens travelled these highways and reported routes based on landmarks. [Unpublished autobiography ca. 1980]

References

Bibliography

* (With Charles N. Proctor) "The Art of Skiing", Harcourt, 1933.
* (With Proctor) "Skiing", Harcourt, 1936.
* "One Man's Forest: Pleasure and Profit from Your Own Woods" — Stephen Greene Press (1974) 159 pages ISBN 0-8289-0224-0 Hardback. ISBN 0-8289-0225-9 Paperback.

External links

* New England Ski Museum [http://www.nesm.org/doc108.html article]
* SkiRebel Magazine [http://www.skirebel.com]