Colonel Marion A. Snow
Marion A. Snow joined the Patrol on March 10, 1932. He held the rank of patrolman, sergeant, lieutenant and captain. When Joseph Dudler was appointed Colonel in 1949, he reduced all but one captain to the rank of lieutenant. Marion Snow left the Patrol at that time and accepted an appointment with the Utah Safety Council effective December 1, 1949. On September 10, 1950, he accepted an appointment as a special agent with the FBI. On July 25, 1951, Snow was appointed Deputy Commissioner in the newly created Utah Department of Public Safety. On April 1, 1953, Colonel Joseph Dudler left the Patrol to enter private business. Upon Dudler’s resignation, Marion Snow was appointed Colonel effective July 1, 1953. He occupied the dual position of Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent until March 1, 1955.
Colonel Snow immediately issued a directive to all employees which read in part, “Traffic casualties this month indicate in a most forceful manner the immediate need for an all-out effort on the part of all enforcement personnel.” He continued, “Every man who wears his badge with honor and honesty” is directed to “approach each tour of duty motivated by the determination to prevent these accidents, stop every driver you observe in violation of the principles of safe and sane driving.” He concluded by saying, “To do less than our best is shameful and may actually contribute to the loss of more lives.”
Colonel Snow expanded the “Red Cross on the Highways Program” to include emergency shuttles of victims, blood, and equipment. Providing this service gave the Patrol immediate recognition.Two such incidents are as follows:
On August 6, 1953, a mercy shuttle from Richfield to Salt Lake was quickly set in motion when a two year old boy swallowed a nickel which lodged in his throat. Sergeant Ted Hansen transported the boy and his parents from Richfield to Santaquin. Sergeant Mel Grant then raced through Utah County to Point of the Mountain.
There, Trooper Don Jensen provided the final link to St. Mark’s Hospital. Emergency surgery removed the nickel and the small boy recovered completely.
The following week, on August 10th, a seven year old girl from Rocks Springs, Wyoming swallowed a pin which lodged in her throat. A doctor told the parents to transport the child to St. Mark’s Hospital in Salt Lake for surgery. Highway patrolmen along the route were alerted, and escorted the speeding parents through towns in both Wyoming and Utah. This mercy ride also ended successfully with the removal of the pin.
On August 21, 1954, Colonel Snow implemented a roving patrol of five men. This crew targeted high accident areas and concentrated on enforcement of hazardous violations which contributed to accidents.
After serving two years as Colonel, Marion Snow resigned effective March 1, 1955, to enter private business in Gunnison. Three years later, Marion Snow returned to the Patrol and accepted the position of trooper on July 1, 1958, St. George, Utah. Trooper Snow later transferred to Gunnison where he worked until retiring on May 31, 1964. Marion A. Snow died on February 27, 1965.