Biography

Wellington Edward Webb was born on February 17, 1941, in Chicago, and moved to Denver in 1953 as a sickly 12-year-old with asthma. He grew up to be a tall 6-foot-4 beloved servant leader of enormous civic contribution in which he gave completely of himself to all the people. As the underdog candidate in the Denver mayoral race of 1991, he laced up his tennis shoes and he and his beloved wife Wilma walked the entire city staying in voters’ homes. In June 1991 the citizens of Denver elected him as the City’s 42nd Mayor and its first African-American Mayor. Voters elected him to serve two more terms of which he served with distinction until 2003. While campaigning for mayor, he told voters: “I don’t want Denver to be like any other major city in the U.S. I want Denver to be proud simply of being Denver. I want to build a city that other cities want to emulate.” His administration spurred the revitalization of downtown, brought to fruition the major portion of completion of Denver International Airport, and upon its celebrated opening, brought non-stop international flights to Denver, and created a concession program at DIA for local minority and women’s businesses. To save Denver’s financially struggling public hospital system he created the Denver Health Authority. As a result, Denver’s public health system was made financially sound and revered as a national model. In addition, he funded neighborhood health clinics and clinics to serve students and families in the Denver Public Schools. Preparing for Denver’s growth, he oversaw the redevelopment of the decommissioned Lowry Air Force Base and the former Stapleton International Airport creating thousands of new homes and thousands of acres of new parks.

As Denver’s mayor, he moved the Mile High City out of the economic doldrums of the late 1990s with $7 billion worth of infrastructure projects, which included expansion of the Colorado Convention Center and the Convention Center Hotel, to name a few of our city’s improvements. The citizens of Denver voted in favor of Mayor Webb’s Bond proposals which helped to pay for major renovations to Art and Cultural venues, libraries, including the opening of the Blair-Caldwell African-American Research Library in historic Five Points, and he acquired The Official Residence of The Denver Mayor at Cableland. An era of unseen prosperity followed for the city, adding new sports facilities, including Coors Field, The Pepsi Center, and the new Mile High Stadium, which were built during his administration. He also negotiated 25-year leases for the Denver Nuggets, the Colorado Avalanche, and the Denver Broncos. During Mayor Webb’s time in office, both the Colorado Avalanche, and the Denver Broncos won world championships and Mayor Webb led massive parades and rallies following their Stanley Cup and Super Bowl victories. All of these projects, and others, added unprecedented value to the city. He strongly believed and imparted that: “Denver’s precious park system serves as a backyard for those who don’t have one of their own.” He acquired more park space than any other mayor. He accelerated the redevelopment of the South Platte River corridor of the Central Platte Valley, which included building new parks, streets, the city’s first skate park, and funding for the redevelopment of Union Station. He left mayors and cities with a legacy of accomplishment and optimism when he declared in 1999, as President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors that: “The 19th Century was the Century of Empires; the 20th, that of Nation-States; and, the 21st Century is that of Cities.” He hosted World Youth Day and the Summit of the Eight, which brought Pope John Paul II and world leaders to the city. He opened international trade offices in London, Mexico City, Osaka, and Shanghai. He was the only mayor elected by his peers to serve as Presidents of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National Conference of Black Mayors and the National Conference of Democratic Mayors. As Mayor and as a leader in many positions, he repeatedly espoused as early as 1972 that, “We have but one life to live and we should use that life to make life better for others.” He leased the Denver Annex to the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless for a $1 a year as a transitional homeless facility. He commissioned and accepted a nationally acclaimed Memorial Complex in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., at Denver’s City Park. Before being elected Denver’s Mayor, he served three terms in the Colorado House of Representatives where he was known as a fighter for social justice. He also previously served as Regional Administrator for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as the Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, and as Denver City Auditor, where he restored fiscal integrity to the office and promoted a new prompt payment ordinance for city government. After serving Denver as mayor, he was designated by President Barack Obama as Representative of the United States to the United Nations. He is a charter member of the Federal Senior Executive Service. He serves at co-board chairman for the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library and board chair emeritus for the Urban Leadership Foundation of Colorado. He is the recipient of numerous awards and commendations nationally, worldwide, and locally from The National Historic Trust, Americans for the Arts, The National Governors Association Public Official of the Year Award, The National Building Trades Council, The Chevalier Legion of Honor given by the nation of France, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors Award for Distinguished Public Service. Mayor Webb, a teacher and university professor, is a 33rd Degree Mason, and a lifelong member of Delta Eta Boule Fraternity, Inc., and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated, and Laurel Wreath recipient of Kappa Alpha Psi. The Wellington E. Webb Municipal Office Building, the Wellington E. Webb Center at Denver Health Medical Center and the Webb and Allen Reception Hall at Denver’s Union Station are named for him in his honor. He and his wife, the Honorable Wilma J. Webb, have four children, Keith (deceased), Stephanie, Anthony, and Allen (deceased). Their philanthropy works include the Wellington and Wilma Webb Scholarship Fund for Manual High School; Wellington and Wilma Webb scholarships for male and female student athletes at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colorado; and Wellington E. Webb Research Endowment fund for Denver Health Authority. In 2022, the couple were honored by Colorado Governor Jared Polis with the Vanguard Legacy Medal for their lifetimes of community service.