Robert W. Speer
Encyclopedia
Robert Walter Speer was elected the mayor of Denver, Colorado
three times. He served two four-year terms in office from 1904 to 1912. He died from pneumonia
in 1918 while halfway through a third term in office that had started in 1916.
. He married Kate Thrush, his childhood sweetheart, in 1882.
As an adherent of the City Beautiful movement
, Speer initiated several projects that added new landmarks, updated existing facilities, or improved the city's landscape including:
Speer was the first mayor of Denver
to die while serving in office. Speer Boulevard in Denver is named in his honor. He is buried in Fairmount Cemetery
in Denver.
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
three times. He served two four-year terms in office from 1904 to 1912. He died from pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
in 1918 while halfway through a third term in office that had started in 1916.
Biography
In 1855, Speer was born in Mount Union, PennsylvaniaMount Union, Pennsylvania
Mount Union is a borough in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, 45 miles southeast of Altoona, on the Juniata River. In the vicinity are found bituminous coal, ganister rock, fire clay, and some timber. A major Easter grass factory is located in the northern quadrant of the borough limits; until May...
. He married Kate Thrush, his childhood sweetheart, in 1882.
As an adherent of the City Beautiful movement
City Beautiful movement
The City Beautiful Movement was a reform philosophy concerning North American architecture and urban planning that flourished during the 1890s and 1900s with the intent of using beautification and monumental grandeur in cities. The movement, which was originally associated mainly with Chicago,...
, Speer initiated several projects that added new landmarks, updated existing facilities, or improved the city's landscape including:
- City AuditoriumDenver Arena AuditoriumDenver Auditorium Arena was an indoor arena located at the corner of 13th and Champa Streets in Denver, Colorado. It was constructed as the Denver Municipal Auditorium in 1908 during the administration of Denver Mayor Robert W. Speer...
, site of the 1908 Democratic National Convention1908 Democratic National ConventionThe 1908 Democratic National Convention was the quadrennial Democratic National Convention, the presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party. It took place from July 7 to July 10, 1908 at Denver Auditorium Arena in Denver, Colorado.... - The Civic CenterCivic Center, DenverCivic Center is a neighborhood and park in Denver, Colorado. The area is known as the center of the civic life in the city, with numerous institutions of arts, government, and culture as well as numerous festivals, parades, and protests throughout the year...
- Denver Mountain ParksDenver Mountain ParksThe Denver Mountain Parks system contains more than 14,000 acres of parklands in the mountains and foothills of Jefferson, Clear Creek, Douglas,and Grand counties in Colorado, west and south of Denver....
- The Denver Zoo expansionDenver ZooThe Denver Zoo is an facility located in City Park of Denver, Colorado, USA. Founded in 1896, it is owned by the City and County of Denver and funded in part by the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District . It was the most popular paid attraction in the Denver metropolitan area in 2005.The...
from 1906 to 1918. - Denver Museum of Nature and ScienceDenver Museum of Nature and ScienceThe Denver Museum of Nature & Science is a municipal natural history and science museum in Denver, Colorado. It is a resource for informal science education in the Rocky Mountain region. A variety of exhibitions, programs, and activities help museum visitors learn about the natural history of...
- The paving and graveling of many of the city's remaining dirt streets
- An urban forestry program that eventually distributed 110,000 free shade trees to city residents
Speer was the first mayor of Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
to die while serving in office. Speer Boulevard in Denver is named in his honor. He is buried in Fairmount Cemetery
Fairmount Cemetery (Denver, Colorado)
Fairmount Cemetery in Denver, Colorado was founded in 1890 and is Denver's second oldest operating cemetery after Riverside Cemetery. It was designed by German landscape architect Reinhard Schuetze...
in Denver.