William Francis Unsoeld (October 5, 1926 – March 4, 1979) was an American mountaineer who was a member of the first American expedition to summit Mount Everest. The American Mount Everest Expedition was led by Norman Dyhrenfurth, and included Unsoeld, Jim Whittaker, Lute Jerstad, Barry Bishop and Tom Hornbein. Whittaker, with Sherpa Nawang Gombu, reached the summit on May 1, 1963. Unsoeld, Hornbein, Bishop and Jerstad reached the top on May 22, 1963. Unsoeld and Hornbein's climb was the first ascent from the peak's west ridge, and the first major traverse of a Himalayan peak. His subsequent activities included working as a U.S. Forest Service smokejumper, Peace Corps director in Nepal, speaker for Outward Bound, faculty member at Oregon State University and The Evergreen State College and mountaineering guide. He died on Mount Rainier in an avalanche. Early life Born in Arcata, California, William Francis Unsoeld was raised in Eugene, Oregon. He received his bachelor's degree in physics from Oregon State College in 1951, and also studied at the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Washington. He helped to create the OSC Mountain Club during his time at Oregon State University. Everest ascent In the late 1950s Unsoeld was a leading climbing guide in the Grand Teton Mountains. He climbed Mt. Rainier over 200 times. Unsoeld and Tom Hornbein ascended Everest's difficult West Ridge route in May 1963, on a National Geographic Society sponsored expedition while Barry Bishop and Lute Jerstad followed Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay’s South Col route established during their 1953 climb. It was the first simultaneous attempt from two directions. The grueling expedition cost Unsoeld nine of his toes due to frostbite, and required several months of recovery in the hospital. Unsoeld and the team reunited in July 1963 when they were presented with the National Geographic Society’s highest honor, the Hubbard Medal, by John F. Kennedy. Later career Unsoeld taught religious studies at Oregon State in the late 1950s and early 1960s. After a stint in the Peace Corps, Unsoeld joined Outward Bound and traveled about the country giving speeches and promoting the organization. After leaving Outward Bound he became one of the founding faculty at The Evergreen State College in Washington State. He was highlighted prominently in the first recruiting video in 1971, advising that "not every student should come to Evergreen". It was at The Evergreen State College where he created