CU Hiking Club Celebrates 100 Years

At Camp Pitts, near Eldora, 1920. Hiking Club Collection, Heritage Center.
One hundred years ago on what some believe to be the most appropriate of days, April Fools鈥 Day, 35 students got together and organized the University of Colorado Hiking Club. All of the charter members, 23 women and 12 men, had a desire to foster more interest in the natural beauty surrounding the university by promoting outdoor activities such as hiking, skiing and camping. Club members made their first official hike to Royal Arch on May 4.
听
Hiking was already a popular student activity, and as an offshoot of the Colorado Mountain Club, the new CU organization had little trouble recruiting members. The following year on February 28, the Hiking Club initiated its first set of 36 eager new members into the cheerful and good-natured group.
听
In celebration of its centennial, the Heritage Center will highlight CU鈥檚 oldest student organization with various aspects of the Hiking Club鈥檚 history throughout the year.听听
听
The April edition will focus on the 35 charter members. Meet the young men and women who founded the club and maybe you will discover a family connection!

University of Colorado Hiking Club, Meeting Minutes, April 1, 1919. Heritage Center.
The Hiking Club鈥檚 first elected officers were:
Harry Hirsch Herman
President
MechEngr 1920
Boulder, Colo.
Irma Lenore Reed
Vice President
LiberalArts 1919
Also received a diploma in Education
Jerome, Ida.
Charles Orville Rixford
Treasurer
MechEngr 1922听
Denver, Colo.
Edna Elizabeth Schiller
Secretary
LiberalArts 1919, cum laude听
Fort Morgan, Colo.
Anthony Stephen Lallie
Hiking Manager听
ElEngr 1921听
Louisville, Colo.
Original Members:
Ruth Ahlberg听
LiberalArts ex1922
Odebolt, Iowa
Florence Marion Anderson听
LiberalArts 1919
Denver, Colo.
Josephine Rose Barrett听
LiberalArts 1921, cum laude
Also received a diploma in Education
Boulder, Colo.
Paul Anderson Blanchard听
MechEngr 1923
Boulder, Colo.
Max Blom听
ElEngr 1921
Colorado Springs, Colo.
Jean Sala Breitenstein听
LiberalArts 1922,听cum laude听
Boulder, Colo.
Eva May Breyfogle听
HomeEcon 1921
Boulder, Colo.
Lillian West Cobbey听
LiberalArts 1921, cum laude
Denver, Colo.听
Gladys Ida Crawford听
LiberalArts 1922, cum laude
Grand Junction, Colo.
Frances Elizabeth Daily
HomeEcon 1920听
Beloit, Kans.
Alice Endicott听
LiberalArts 1922, cum laude
Ca帽on City, Colo
Elizabeth Foote听
HomeEcon ex1922
Paonia, Colo
Oswald Lawrence Gedney听
LiberalArts 1924听
Also received a diploma in Commerce
Denver, Colo.
Evangeline S. Hauck听 听
LiberalArts 1920听
Rocky Ford, Colo.
Janet Lillian Holcomb听
LiberalArts 1920, cum laude
Also听received a diploma in Education
Boulder, Colo.
Alan Hawley Johnson听
ElEngr 1921听
Denver, Colo.
Ruth Mary Johnston听
LiberalArts 1920听
Idaho Springs, Colo.
Laura Kornelya Kincaid听
LiberalArts ex1922听
La Veta, Colo.
Maude Louise Lindsey听
LiberalArts ex1922听
Iowa Park, Tex.
Hattie Jean McFarlane听
LiberalArts ex1920
Denver, Colo.
Mildred McMillen
LiberalArts 1919, magna cum laude听
Also听received a diploma in Education
Boulder, Colo.
Harold Joseph Morsch听
LiberalArts ex1924
Denver, Colo.
Mabel Alice Reed听
LiberalArts 1922
Wray, Colo.
David Rosner
LiberalArts ex1921
Boulder, Colo.
Margaret Shepardson听
LiberalArts ex1922
Fort Collins, Colo.
George Gaylord Simpson听
LiberalArts ex1923
Denver, Colo.
Irma Tarkoff听
LiberalArts 1920, magna cum laude
Boulder, Colo.
Augusta 鈥淕ussie鈥 Lee Wellman听
LiberalArts ex1922
Mangum, Okla.
Jack Newton Withers听
CivEngr 1923, with honors听
Dolores, Colo.
Florence Helen Wittemyer听
LiberalArts 1919
Boulder, Colo.
Sources:
鈥淐atalog of Students 1916-1923.鈥听University of Colorado Bulletins听17-23, nos. 3 (1917-1923).听
Coloradoan听(yearbooks), 1918-1923. Boulder, CO: Associated Students of the University of Colorado, 1918-1923.
鈥淒irectory of Officers and Graduates, 1877-1921.鈥澨University of Colorado Bulletin听21, no. 10 (1921).
Lyman, Louise. 鈥淗obnails Boots and Jeans of Faded Blue.鈥听Colorado听Alumnus,听April 1943, 6-7.听
University of Colorado Hiking Club 1919-1925 Scrapbook. Waddington Collection, Heritage Center.
University of Colorado Hiking Club,听Meeting Minutes, 1919-1922. Van Valkenburg Collection, Heritage Center.
听
Do you have a question听about this article? Is there a听piece of campus history that has always intrigued you and want to know more? Send an email to the Heritage Center鈥檚听Chief Curiosity Correspondent, and see if we can answer your question. It might just end up here!
听