Norman Nevills(1908-1949)
Born April 9, 1908 in Chico, California, Norman Nevills was a pioneer
in professional river running. Norman's early life was largely spent in
Oakland, CA, where he graduated University High School in 1925. He
spent that summer in Utah and returned to briefly attend Stockton's
College of the Pacific, ostensibly as a geology major (by all accounts
he was far more interested in acting classes). He had a rebellious
streak and felt that college was a total waste of time and dropped out
after the second semester. Norman took a series of dead-end jobs that
ultimately led him back to Utah, where his father owned an oil rig that
eventually failed. Father and son next built Nevills Mexican Hat Lodge,
which formally opened in 1933. In the meantime, Norman became
interested with the nearby Monument Valley and began mapping the area
(somewhat creatively). Het met and later married 19-year old Doris
Drown, whose family was vacationing in Arizona (the couple's children
were Joan, born in 1936, and Sandra, who would arrive in 1941). He led
a guided trip on the Utah's San Juan River in 1936 for a photographic
expedition of Rainbow Natural Bridge (the Rainbow Bridge/Monument
Valley Expedition). In 1938 he made what is believed to be the first
commercial run down the Colorado River and it garnered considerable
media attention, encouraging him to go into the business on a full time
basis. While a stickler for safety he nevertheless drew harsh criticism
for being a shameless self-promoter, telling tall stories and having a
habit of re-naming Colorado River landmarks as he saw fit. Nevills
Expeditions used 1000-lb wooden hulled rowboats of his design which he
called Cataract boats, and required passengers to wear life jackets in
addition to recommending prior physical preparation for each trip. He
was unexpectedly given a draft exemption during WW2, based on his
skills as river mapper and a part-time oil driller. In 1942 he led a
small Warner Brothers crew on what was purported to be the 19th run
(Nevills' 4th trip) down the Colorado which became the studio's Sports
Parade one-reel short Facing Your Danger (Academy Award for Short Subject one-reel films, 1946).
The footage from this 350-mile trip was shot in color. He continued to
make commercial river runs in Idaho's Snake and Salmon Rivers and
Wyoming's Green River after WW2. Always the gregarious adventurer,
Norman obtained his pilot's license in 1944 and purchased a Piper Cub
in late 1946. He delved into flying and quickly amassed hundreds of
hours' flight time and intended to launch an aviation business. Norman
and Doris were tragically killed on September 19, 1949 when the plane's
engine cut out on take-off in Mexican Hat, Utah.