Robert W. Speer

Robert Walter Speer (December 1, 1855 – May 14, 1918) was elected mayor of Denver, Colorado three times. He served two four-year terms in office from 1904 to 1912. He died from Influenza, early on in the worldwide epidemic of that year on May 14, 1918, while halfway through a third term in office that had started in 1916.[1]

Robert W. Speer
Robert W. Speer
26th Mayor of Denver
In office 1904–1912
Preceded by	Robert R. Wright
Succeeded by	Henry J. Arnold
30th Mayor of Denver
In office 1916–1918
Preceded by	William H. Sharpley
Succeeded by	William Fitz Randolph Mills
Personal details
Born	December 1, 1855 Mount Union, Pennsylvania
Died	May 14, 1918 (aged 62) Denver, Colorado
Political party	Democrat

Biography

Speer was born in Mount Union, Pennsylvania, on December 1, 1855. He married Kate Thrush, his childhood sweetheart, in 1882.[2]

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:

• City Auditorium, site of the 1908 Democratic National Convention
• The Civic Center
• Denver Mountain Parks
• The Denver Zoo expansion from 1906 to 1918.
• Denver Museum of Nature and Science
• 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[3][4]

Speer was the first mayor of Denver to die while serving in office. Speer Boulevard in Denver is named in his honor.[5] He is buried in Fairmount Cemetery in Denver.

References

1. "History of the Office". Denver Office of the Mayor. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
2. Johnson, Denver's Mayor Speer, pp. 5-6.
3. Forestry statistics are from Noel, Mile High City, p. 100.
4. Other items in the list of projects are from "Some Things Denver Owes to Speer," Rocky Mountain News, 15 May 1918, p. 3.
5. Goodstein, Denver Streets, p. 33.

Bibliography

• Goodstein, Phil (1995). Denver Streets: Names, Numbers, Locations, Logic (2nd Revised ed.). Denver, CO: New Social Publications. ISBN 0-9622169-3-3.
• Johnson, Charles A. (1969). Denver's Mayor Speer. Denver, CO: Green Mountain Press.
• Noel, Thomas Jacob (1997). Mile High City: An Illustrated History of Denver. Denver, CO: A. B. Hirschfeld Press. ISBN 1-886483-10-8.
• "Robert W. Speer, Mayor of Denver, Is Dead: Cathedral Bells Toll as Flags are Placed at Half Mast in Memory". Rocky Mountain News. 15 May 1918. pp. 1, 3.
• Eaton, Raymond A. (15 May 1918). "Speer was Man of Great Vision; Had Many Ideas for Better City". Rocky Mountain News. p. 3.
• "Speer Always Worked For a City Beautiful; Plans Had Just Begun". Rocky Mountain News. 15 May 1918. p. 3.
• "Some Things Denver Owes to Speer". Rocky Mountain News. 15 May 1918. p. 3.

External links

• Robert W. Speer at Find a Grave