Robert W. Speer

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 (1855-12-01)December 1, 1855
Mount Union, Pennsylvania
Died May 14, 1918(1918-05-14) (aged 62)
Denver, Colorado

Robert Walter Speer (December 1, 1855 May 14, 1918) was elected the 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]

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:

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


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