# Ernie Blake

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**Ernie Blake** (March 24, 1913 – January 14, 1989), originally **Ernst Hermann Bloch**, was the German-American founder, together with his wife Rhoda, of [Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico](/source/Taos_Ski_Valley,_New_Mexico). He was born in Germany, grew up in Switzerland and went to university in Germany and Switzerland before emigrating to the US in 1938. He worked for [US military intelligence](/source/US_military_intelligence) during [World War II](/source/World_War_II), when he assisted in the interrogation of the leading Nazis [Hermann Göring](/source/Hermann_G%C3%B6ring) and [Albert Speer](/source/Albert_Speer). His code name was *Ernie Blake*, and after the war, he chose it as his real name.

Always a keen skier, he met his future wife Rhoda whilst skiing in Vermont, and followed her to [Santa Fe, New Mexico](/source/Santa_Fe,_New_Mexico), where she was studying art. He was helping to run other ski areas and flying a small plane between them, when he spotted what was to become Taos Ski Valley.

## Early life

Blake was born Ernst Hermann Bloch in [Frankfurt](/source/Frankfurt), Germany, in 1913, the son of Jenny (née Guggenheim), a Swiss mother and Adolph, a German father,[1] who was an industrialist, and produced the raw material used to make [felt hats](/source/Felt_hats).[2] Ernst was a keen skater, and his mother introduced him to skiing.[2]

He grew up close to the Swiss ski resort of [St Moritz](/source/St_Moritz),[3] and went to boarding school at the [Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz](/source/Lyceum_Alpinum_Zuoz) in [Zuoz](/source/Zuoz), followed by a degree in history at the [University of Frankfurt](/source/Goethe_University_Frankfurt).[2]

## Emigration to the US and World War II

In 1938, he emigrated to the United States. During [World War II](/source/World_War_II), he became a lieutenant in the United States army in [military intelligence](/source/Military_intelligence). He served in the [European theatre](/source/European_theatre_of_World_War_II), where he assisted in the interrogation of the leading Nazis [Hermann Göring](/source/Hermann_G%C3%B6ring) and [Albert Speer](/source/Albert_Speer).[3]*Ernie Blake* was his code name during the war, and afterwards he chose it as his real name.[2]

## Ski career

In December 1940 Blake met Rhoda Limburg at the top of a chairlift on [Mount Mansfield](/source/Mount_Mansfield) in [Stowe, Vermont](/source/Stowe,_Vermont). He followed her to [Santa Fe, New Mexico](/source/Santa_Fe,_New_Mexico), where she was studying art. They decided to marry in summer 1941.[1] They had three children, Peter, Wendy and Mickey.[4] By 1949, they had settled in Santa Fe. Blake was helping to run the Santa Fe ski area and the [Glenwood Springs](/source/Glenwood_Springs) ski area in Colorado, traveling between them in a small plane he flew himself. As a result, he noticed the remote mountains 20 miles northeast of [Taos](/source/Taos,_New_Mexico) and decided to start a ski area there.[1] Blake was inducted into the [US Ski Hall of Fame](/source/National_Ski_Hall_of_Fame) in 1987.[3]

## Death

Blake died of [pneumonia](/source/Pneumonia) in [Albuquerque](/source/Albuquerque) on January 14, 1989.[3][5]

## Legacy

In December 2013, the hedge fund billionaire [Louis Bacon](/source/Louis_Bacon) purchased Taos Ski Valley from the Blake family.[6]

## References

1. Heilman, Uriel (December 21, 2011). ["In a remote New Mexico valley, a Jewish skiing legacy at Taos"](https://www.jta.org/2011/12/21/news-opinion/united-states/in-a-remote-new-mexico-valley-a-jewish-skiing-legacy-at-taos). *Jewish Telegraphic Agency*. Retrieved November 25, 2015.

1. Richard Needham (December 2006). ["Earnie Over Easy"](https://books.google.com/books?id=O1gEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA13). *Skiing Heritage*. International Skiing History Association. [ISSN 1082-2895](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1082-2895). Retrieved November 25, 2015.

1. ["Ernie Blake, Ski Resort Owner, 75"](https://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/19/obituaries/ernie-blake-ski-resort-owner-75.html). *The New York Times*. January 19, 1989. Retrieved November 25, 2015.

1. Robin Martin (October 8, 2014). ["Citizens of the Year: The Blake family"](http://www.taosnews.com/news/article_980b49ae-4f2f-11e4-a243-0382ad40d510.html). *The Taos News*

1. ["Ernie Blake; Military Interrogator of Nazi Leaders"](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-01-19-mn-1140-story.html). *Los Angeles Times*. January 19, 1989.

1. Rohwedder, Cecilie (April 24, 2014). ["Louis Bacon Tries to Turn Around Taos Ski Valley"](https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304311204579507651771533522). *WSJ*. Retrieved November 25, 2015.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ernie Blake](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernie_Blake) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernie_Blake?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.