Gretchen Fraser was the first American to win an Olympic gold medal in skiing. She was the first American to win a medal in the Winter Olympic Games. Commemorating her winning the gold, the Gretchen Fraser Olympic scrapbook has memorabilia related to the St. Moritz Winter Games and media attention that followed. It has newspaper articles, photographs, telegrams, and letters about her time there and documents her win– the power and reverberations of the win.
On the left side is the famous photo of Gretchen just after she won the Giant Slalom race. On the facing page is a letter of congratulations from the Portland Junior Chamber of Commerce. The letter invites Fraser to be an honored guest at their Forum Luncheon.
Donald Fraser, Jr., their son, gave their memorabilia collection to the Wood River Museum of History and Culture (formerly the Ketchum Sun Valley Historical Society). It is a prized collection full of awards, scrapbooks, photos, and correspondence. Gretchen’s Olympic gold medal is part of the collection. This scrapbook is one of several.
Gretchen is a member of several halls of fame. She is honored in the local Sun Valley Winter Sports Hall of Fame, along with her husband, Don Fraser.
