At the American Alpine Club's 1937 meeting, Charlie Houston and Fritz Wiessner were the main speakers and Wiessner proposed an expedition to climb K2 for the first time, an idea that was strongly supported. The American Alpine Club (AAC) president applied for an expedition permit via the Department of State - the British colonial authorities approved the plan for a reconnaissance, possibly leading to an attempt, in 1938 to be followed by an expedition in 1939 if the first attempt failed. Although Wiessner had been expected to lead the first expedition - he was probably the best American mountaineer and climber at the time - he backed down and suggested Houston replace him. Houston had considerable mountaineering experience - he had organized and achieved the first ascent of Alaska's Mount Foraker in 1934 and had been a climbing member on the British-American Himalayan Expedition of 1936 which reached the top of Nanda Devi, which was then and in 1938 was still the highest summit to have been climbed. Their primary aim was to reconnoiter the three main ridges of K2, and make a summit attempt if possible.