Norton Clapp

Matthew Norton Clapp (April 15, 1906-April 22, 1995) was a Weyerhaeuser chairman who was among the private investors who built and owned the Seattle Space Needle.

Clapp was active in various philanthropies including the Boy Scouts of America and was to donate 10,098 acres (41 km²) including the summit of Baldy Mountain (Colfax County, New Mexico) for use at Philmont Scout Ranch.

He was married four times. One of his stepchildren from his second marriage was Washington governor Booth Gardner.

Clapp was born in Pasadena, California. He was named for his maternal grandfather Matthew G. Norton, a Winona, Minnesota lumberman who via the Laird, Norton Company was to help finance the Weyerhaeuser purchase of land in Washington State in 1900.

Clapp received an A.B. from Occidental College and a Ph.B in 1928 from the University of Chicago and a J.D. from Chicago in 1929.^[1]

He practiced law in Tacoma, Washington from 1929 until 1942. He was among the developers of Lakewood Colonial Center in 1937 in what is now Lakewood, WA ^[2]. It was one of the first shopping centers west of the Mississippi River. In 1938, he converted an existing structure into the Lakewood Ice Arena^[2]. He became a trustee of the University of Puget Sound in 1933 and would serve there until his death including being chairman from 1967 until 1986.^[3]

In 1938 he began a formal association with Weyerhauser.

He joined the United States Navy during World War II and served until 1946 when he returned to Weyerhauser. In 1947 he succeeded his father as a director of the company. He was its president from 1960 to 1966 and chairman until 1970.

He was named to the Trustees of University of Chicago in 1957 and was name a Life Trustee in 1970.

In 1961 he joined Bagley Wright, contractor Howard S. Wright, architect John Graham, and financier Ned Skinner as investors in the Pentagram Corporation which was to build and own the Space Needle for the 1962 World's Fair. He continued his ownership until 1977 when he sold out his interests to Howard Wright.^[4]

From 1971 to 1973 he was president of the Boy Scouts of America. In 1963 he donated the land around Mount Baldy to the Scouts.^[5]

When he died at his home in Medina, Washington he had estimated fortune of $450 million.

References

1. ^ Obituary: Norton Clapp, Life Trustee - uchicago.edu
2. ^ ^{a b} City of Lakewood History - lakewoodhistorical.org
3. ^ Clapp, Norton (1906-1995) - historylink.org
4. ^ Fun Facts - Spaceneedle.com
5. ^ The Maxwell Land Grant Time Line - legendsofamerica.com

See also

Scouting portal

Boy Scouts of America
Preceded by Irving Feist	National president 1971–1973	Succeeded by Robert W. Reneker

Persondata
Name	Clapp, Norman
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1906
Place of birth
Date of death	1995
Place of death