Welcome / Bienvenue / Willkommen / Bienvenido / ようこ
Celebrating  27 years of allowing "friends to keep in touch with friends";  the 14th anniversary of the WAA website!

Established 1991 / 1,000 Members / 25 Member Countries

Did you work for Westin, or one of its affilaite companies for a minimum of five years from 1930-1998? If so, you may qualify for membership.

 
Thank you for visiting the WAA website!

Western Hotels, later Western International Hotels, Westin Hotels, and Westin Hotels & Resorts was an innovative and storied company populated with outstanding people!
 

Yes, people did make the difference!

Sincerely,

Ray Sylvester
Westin 1965-1998

WAA President

April 2017: Oslo, Norway: Over 30 alums from SAS Scandanavian Hotel Oslo which opened in 1975 met at Posthallen Restaurant Bar and Cafe to celebrate friendships!

1st row.

Tom Fossengen, Anne Wallin Rødven, Ulla Mark Løvstrøm, Hanne Hagen, Kersi Porbunderwalla, Guri Lauritzen, Inken Lundgård, Judith Espeskog, Turid Kvalheim Flinder,

2nd row:

Johan Zinsli (profile), Eivind Dalvang, Sidsel Haavardtun, Lykke Bogen, Nina Kase, Rita Rasmussen, Sølvi (Knotten) Paulgaard, Kirsti Johansen

Last row 3 and 4:

Steinar Hansen, Kristoffer Breivik, Morten Fure, Truls Becker, Therese Klaveness, Liv (Herud) Becker, Karin Schanke, Edgar Valdmanis, Anna Thorud Hammer, Pål Gjelseth, Kirsten Månum Gløersen, Bjørn Solberg (just behind Kirstien), Thorleif Solstad

Take a look at some of the past Front magazine covers. Jay Aven saved 59 Front magazines and has contributed them to the Westin Collection.
 

Prior to May of 1941 the Western Hotels employee communication publication was WHEM, Western Hotels Employees Magazine. In April of 1941, a company-wide contest was conducted to select a new name for publication. FRONT was the winning entry.

The Hospitality Industry Archives  (HIA) at the University of Houston has over 330 of the combined publications.

The annual message to members indicated the Board's decision to begin a project, in conjunction with the HIA, to digitize these publications. On February 6, 2019 WAA Treasurer, Michael Horrocks, presented a check for $2,500 to HIA Director Dr. Mark Young as a first installment to begin this process.

The outcome will be the ability for any interested party to go on line and  connect to the U . of H. servers to explore the history of the Company.

Click here for a sample FRONT Magazine in digitized format.

Your donation of $100 will help to make this a reality. Send your check to: WAA | 5130 Chevy Chase Drive|  Houston, TX 77056 THANK YOU!

Consider joining Facebook to connect with the over 410 alums who access the Westin Alumni Facebook page. There is no cost involved, and you post only what you want to share with others.

Read a Biography on Edward E.  Carlson

"In my judgement a lifetime with nothing to show other than the accumulation of wealth will never be as fulfilling as a life with vivid memories of the joys and warmth in the wealth of friends. Everyone can enjoy the wealth of friends".

Recollections of a Lucky Fellow 1989

Join with other Westin alums in support of the project to digitize the collection of FRONT Magazines, making their content available  on line for any interested party. Nothing captures the history of the company and its people better during its 68 year history.


Send your check in the amount of $100 or more, made out to WAA, to: 5130 Chevy Chase Drive Houston, TX 77056 or you can also make that contribution on line by clicking on the "donate" button upper right side of this homepage.

You'll have the satisfaction of contributing to the legacy of our outstanding Company

 

"I am thrilled to be able to do something for our beloved Westin Alumni Association and make a donation to this great project" Susan Bray

"Great project! Congratulations to this idea".
Ulrich Schwartz

Project Update: Monday October 14, 2019
The library has completed from my understanding a test scan of the different Front formats.  I am to go over later today or tomorrow to make sure I like their work.  I am sure it is fine and better than I could do.  They probably want to show me how the images in the Front come out in a scan depending on the gloss of paper, the paper quality, and the amount of text nearby. 

I get the sense that they may be physically finished scanning by the time of the Las Vegas meeting.  They will then add the Mehta data, re-scan any images that did not come out right, I will write a description of what Front is and its historical significance.  Then they will up load it to the UH Digital Library.  When that date will be I am truthfully not sure .  I would think before Christmas, but this is the university and I would not bet money. 

I told the digital library people I do want some images of the scanned Front’s to show in Las Vegas and I will get images to show the magazine in the process of getting scanned and all the other things they do to it to prepare the images for uploading to the Digital Library. (Dr. Mark Young)

86 Members as of October 11, 2019

A

Giovanni Angelini

B

Jon Ballard
Charlotte Behnke
Peter Blyth
Wayne Bodington
Susan Bray
Hans Bruland

C

Eugene Carlson (son of Edward Carlson)
John Ceriale
Chuck Chambers
Kim Chappell
Tony Cherone

D

Michael David
Hanne Dittler
Bill Dougherty
Tom Dupar (The Dupar Foundation)
Larry Dustin

E

David Evan
Jerry Evans

F

Dick Ferris
John Finamore
Jeff Flowers 
Denis Forristal
Jim France

G

Jack Gaines
Victor / Kathryn Gielisse
Christine Gildow
Thomas  Gurtner

H

Doug Hales
Brian Handley
Bob Hawes
Richard Helfer
Tom Hosea
Phil Hughes

J

Greg Jacobson
Andrew Jones

K

Howard Kemball
Walt Ketterling
David King

L

Didier le Calvez
Nancy Lebrecht
Terry Losh
Lorraine Luongo

M

Larry Magnan
George Markantonis
Chris Marker
Lou Martinelli
John Mavros
Dan McClaskey
Tony McDonald
Bruce McNish
Michael Miketti
Bill Moyer
Pat Mullin
Philllip Murelaga

N

Jorg Neuenhaus
Russ Nickel

O

Rod Odegaard

P

Nancy Peel
Jerry Pokocky

R

Birgit Radin
Christine Rankin
Paul Ross
Laurie Rounds

S

Steve Schnoor
Ulrich Schwartz
Peter Smith
Jean Spaulding
Tom Stanfield
Tim Steckbeck
Philip Stoy
Hart Sugarman
Ralph Swain
John Swaney
Linda Swearingen
Ray Sylvester

T

Sherrie Tossell (daughter of Severt Thurston)
Byron Trafton
Jim Treadway

U

Rick Ueno

W

Catherine Walker
Ulrich Wall
Jerry Wolsborn
Richard Whaley
Robert Wilhelm

Z

Western Hotels 1^st Manager Conference
July 18, 1931
Multnomah Hotel
Portland, Oregon
 
Front l to r: Frank Bruce, Harold Dupar, Troy Himmelman, Earl McInnis, S.W. Thurston, Peter Schmidt, Jimmy sells, Frank Dupar
Middle l to r: Harry Butler, Tom Gildersleve, Bud Zimmerman, Clyde Damaski, John Rowe, George Hogendobler, Harry Himmelman, Adolf Schmidt, A.D/ Ballinger
Back l to r: Ray Clark, Don Utley, Joe Hurley, Bill Hudson, Thad Pierce, Dolf Edmiston, Carl Morck


Westin Hotels & Resorts Last Managment Conference
1990
Walt Disney Swan Hotel
Orlando, Florida

Western Hotels, Inc
Western International Hotels
Westin Hotels
Westin Hotels & Resorts

1930-1998

Founders


S.W. Thurston
First Company President
1930-1955


Frank A.  Dupar
First Treasurer


Early Partners


Harold E. Maltby
First Company Vice President


Peter Schmidt, Sr.
First Company Chairman
&
President Olympia Brewing Co.


Adolph Schmidt
The Schmidts were looking for other investments after to the closing of the brewery due to prohibition
After the repeal of prohibition in 1933 Peter and Adolph Schmidt reopened the brewing company
 

Second Generation




Edward E. Carlson
Chairman


Lynn Himmelman
Chairman


Gordon Bass
Vice-Chairman

Third Generation

.

Harry Mullikin
CEO & Chairman


Fourth Generation



Larry Magnan
CEO  & President

The Westin Building
Seattle, WA
Westin Hotels & Resorts
Corporate Headquarters
1981 - 1999
 

Originally paid by MetLife then transferred to MetLife product, Brighthouse Financial.
If you are not sure if you qualify for a Westin retirement benefit call Brighthouse at 800-638-5433, and ask if you have a Westin Retirement benefit due.  M-F 8am-8pm ET.

MyHR by Marriott

Originally paid by Starwood. In January of 2018 Marriott became the payee through their out-sourced program manager, Alright Solutions. MyHR at 888-884-6947, M-F 9am-8pm ET. Ask for Retirement Benefits