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1929, only five years after the first games in Chamonix, France was the first year Salt Lake City tried to bid for the Winter Olympics. The Utah Ski Club tried to procure the 1932 games for Salt Lake, but they went to Lake Placeid, New York instead. Due to early Olympic rules (which have since changed) Salt Lake could not bid for the the 1936 games in Germany, since the summer game host had rights to the winter games.

The next attempt for the 1972 games was more organized. State and city officials got the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) to endorse the city, but they again lost, this time to Sapporo, Japan. In the next round of bidding for the 1976 games the USOC picked Denver, Colorado to represent the United States in bidding. The city was picked, but taxpayers voted to not fund the games. Salt Lake put itself forward as a candidate, but in the fallout, the games were awarded to Innsbruck, Austria, who had recently hosted in 1956.

Salt Lake City did not try to big again until 1985 for the 1992 games, but the USOC went with Anchorage Alaska. After Anchorage lost the 1992 as well as the 1994 games, Salt lake was back in the running for 1998.

Ogden-born lawyer Tom Welch and car salesman Dave Johnson were in charge of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee (SLOC) and took an agressive approach to winning the Olympics. They flew out to Europe to meet with the International Olympic Comittee members. They also convinced taxpayers to foot the bill for a $59 million Olympic-ready winter sports complex, even without the guarantee of the games.

Even after all of this the 1998 games went to Nagano, Japan in a 46-to-42 vote. Many felt the reason was because the US had recently been awarded the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta, Georgia. Others, including Welch believed it was because Nagano had wined and dined the officials better.

Welch and Johnson decided to try harder the next round. Prior to the IOC vote for 1998, they had given out Stetson hats to delegates. For 2002 they decided to give out more than hats.

Millions were spent on ski trips, scholarships, Superbowl trips, plastic surgery. The members were given deals on real estate, family members were given jobs.

The plan worked, in 1995 the IOC announced Salt Lake City the winneer.

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