Former Denver Mayor Wellington E. Webb honored with new statue
DENVER — The legacy of Denver’s first African American mayor, Wellington E. Webb, will be cemented forever in a newly unveiled statue inside a municipal building which is also named after him. The statue created by Ed Dwight is titled “The Walk of Mayor Wellington E. Webb”, in reference to the sneakers Webb famously wore during his mayoral campaign.
Wellington first won his mayoral bid in 1991 and served three terms until 2003. During his stint in office, he focused on four major areas for Denver: parks and open space, public safety, economic development and children.
His accomplishments for the city include hosting World Youth Day where Pop John Paul II and world leaders convened in Denver, helping to promote economic growth with $7 billion worth of infrastructure projects, developing 85% of the Denver International Airport, and helping to create thousands of new homes. It would be hard to name an area of the modern Denver that Wellington didn't influence.
The City and County of Denver held an official dedication and unveiling ceremony of the statue in the atrium of the Welling E. Webb Municipal Building on Wednesday, April 6.
The ceremony started with the classic song, “America The Beautiful”, which was sung by Webb’s granddaughter, Aubrey Ipolani Webb.
Many people spoke to Webb’s accomplishments and impact including former coworkers, friends, and Webb’s wife and former six-term State Representative Wilma Webb.
“Congratulations, Wellington, you deserve all of these accolades from all these wonderful people who have been with you ever since I’ve known you. So, congratulations, I love you, and I think everybody out here loves you too” said Wilma gesturing to the crowd.
The couple have four adult children and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. On stage during the ceremony, directly behind to the podium, was a large bouquet of flowers placed on an empty chair. They were a tribute and symbol to Webb's grandmother and his children who have passed away.
Current Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock shared that Webb has been an inspiration throughout his life and career and someone he considered a friend.
“There are a lot of great memories, you know, during his tenure ... I don’t know a story on top of my head. There are a lot of them. What I will tell you is that you never laugh as hard as you will when you are with Wellington Webb,” said Hancock. He also spoke about the impact Webb made and continues to make on the City of Denver. “He is always about getting things done and because he had such a focus is the reason we are the city we are today.”
Webb himself ended the ceremony with a few words of wisdom. “I believe in God. I believe in family. I believe in community. I believe in public service. I believe tolerance and inclusion. I believe in creating opportunities for others. I believe in personal responsibility. I believe in a global world. I believe in democracy. I believe in America. I believe in Colorado. I believe in Denver. And I believe in all of you.”
Lindsey Ford is a multimedia journalist at Rocky Mountain PBS. You can reach her at lindseyford@rmpbs.org.