Alexander Bright became one of the top alpine skiers in the eastern United States. Bright’s devotion to the sport of skiing was responsible for many progressive changes in the rules and regulations pertaining to competitors and ski competitions.

Alexander (Alec) Bright was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1897. A Harvard graduate, he excelled on the school’s baseball and hockey teams as an undergraduate and became one of the top alpine skiers in the eastern United States. He was a charter member of the Ski Club Hochgebirge and Woodstock Ski Runners club.

Bright had a brilliant racing record in downhill-slalom. He was the United States Eastern Amateur Ski Association downhill champion in 1935 and was a member of the 1936 United States Olympic Team skiing the downhill race in Garmisch, Germany. He married Clarita Heath, a member of the same US Olympic Ski Team.

After the 1936 Olympics Bright became involved with the USEASA and the National Ski association. In 1937 he was awarded the Silver Ski trophy by the Old Carriage Road Runners for advancing skiing along sane and sensible lines. He also became deeply committed to the National Ski Patrol and served on the Olympic Selection Committee in 1939 before leaving for Europe to spend a thirty-three month tour of duty with the U.S. Army Air Corps. He served with the 91st Bombardment Group as a captain, later being promoted to major.

Upon his return from the military, Bright once again served as an Olympic Team committee member and on the Olympic Selection Committee in 1948 and 1952. He was elected vice-president of the National Ski Association and served on the finance committee for a number of years. One outstanding accomplishment was implementing the “Nickel a Night” program to help finance the ski association. Bright was responsible for many changes in the rules and regulations of skiing, particularly in the area of safety and amateurism. His skiing interest as competitor and layman dates back to 1930 and his competitive record is recognized through entries in the record books on a local, divisional, national and international level. Bright was truly an outstanding sportsman and an advocate of amateurism in the United States.

Alexander Bright, for his more than fifty years of devotion to the sport, was elected to the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame in 1959.