Westin Alumni 

Association

Westin Alumni Association

Welcome / Bienvenue / Willkommen / Bienvenido / ようこ

Seattle, Washington: May 8, 2017: Front left: Bill Ellis, Dave Evans, Larry Magnan, Dan McClaskey, Dwight Call...rear left: Dick Whaley, Ron Spellecy

Oslo, Norway: April 27, 2017: 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

Originally christened the Hotel Oregon, the name was eventually changed to the Benson Hotel.

Lumber baron and philanthropist, Simon Benson opened the Hotel Oregon in February 1913. It was one of the more soundly constructed hotels and it was well furnished. Unlike some of the poorly constructed hotels that did not survive, the character and ambiance instilled by Simon Benson is still evident in the way the hotel has been preserved.

Benson owned much of the land along the Columbia River Gorge and eventually donated part of it to the city of Portland to build the Columbia River Scenic Highway. This land included Multnomah Falls and Crown Point. The Highway led to his newly constructed Columbia Gorge Hotel at Hood River.

So big it takes two pictures to capture....

Row 1 L to R: Laurie Luongo, Dennis Fox, Nick Van der Kaaij Bill Jauregui, Doug Browne, Ray Goad, Larry Magnan, Nick Van der Kaaij  Bob Wilhelm, Roger Young, Denis Forristal, Klaus Zander, Bob Chamberlin, Hermann Gammeter, Kim Chappell, Victor Gielisse
Row 2 L to R: Jack Gaines, David King, Hans Zinsli, Tom Dupar, Ed Jensen, Claudia Jensen, Rod Odegaard, Marcel Lagnaz, Larry Saward, Ty Stroh, Larry Dustin Tom Hosea, Andrew Jones
Row 3 L to R: Sabra Wagoner, Patrick Mullin, Phil Reed, John Mavros, Heather Buchanan-Leek, Don Holmes, Mark Zimmerman,, Ed Schwitzky, Elaine Harfst, Laurie Rounds, Mike David
 

Row 1 L to R: Bill Quinn, Hanne Dittler, Ray Sylvester, Bonnie Best, Carol DeLapp, ___, Paul McDonald, Bill Moyer, Ciaran Kelly, Tony Ruegg
Row 2 L to R: Jay Wildgen, Jere Walters, Hart Sugarman, Bill Tutt, Bob Hawes, Diane Holliday-Germain, George Markantonis
Row 3 L to R: Hans Bruland, Richard Ransome, Peter Blyth, John Cushen, Minaz Abji, Jim Dunford, Stephanie Holtforster-Crawley, Norman Wade

Michael Horrocks correctly named these, left to right, as The Mayflower Hotel, The Carlton Hotel, The Plaza Hotel and the Continental Plaza Hotel.

October 12, 2016: We certainly want to congratulate George Caldwell and his team for receiving this award...but look closer and you will see the name of the award,,,yes, Carlson.

The award is presented to one Navy Lodge world-wide that demonstrates superior performance throughout the year. A lodge must receive top marks in the areas of operations, associate satisfaction, leadership and guest services.

The Carlson Award, which continues to this day, is named in honor of one Edward E. Carlson, a former member of the Secretary of the Navy's Advisory Committee. Through his efforts the Navy Lodge Program has become a leading example of hospitality for service members.

Celebrating  26 years of allowing "friends to keep in touch with friends"; and the 12th anniversary of the WAA website and year 2 of Facebook!

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

1930-1998

Founders



Peter Schmidt, Sr.
First Company Chairman



S.W. Thurston
First Company President




Harold E. Maltby
First Company Vice President


 
Frank A.  Dupar





Adolph Schmidt
First Vice President
.

Hotel Benson Luggage Sticker
Joined Western Hotels, Inc. in 1931


St. Francis Hotel Postcard

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

 

2pm on Tuesday, June 11, 1912 the pilot made history (Morning Oregonian, 12-June-1912):
Aviation science took another stride toward perfection yesterday afternoon when Silas Christofferson, the youthful Portland bird-man, successfully piloted his biplane from the top of the Multnomah Hotel building to Vancouver, Wash. He flew the eight miles, crossing the Willamette and Columbia rivers, in 12 minutes.
Other aviators have made speedier journeys, but it remained for the unlicensed ex-automobile racer to be the pioneer in trusting his heavier-than-air machine in a start from the midst of the business section of a great city.
A crowd of 50,000, scattered along half a dozen streets, lining roofs of dozens of office buildings, and perched precariously at every available point of vantage, witnessed the splendid start of the daring young aviator.
The crowd roared as the machine gracefully and surely left its board footing and soared forth on its journey to Vancouver.