University of Denver Spring 2025

IN MEMORIAM

Remembering Daniel L. Ritchie

Daniel L. Ritchie, the University of Denver’s much admired and much-loved 16th chancellor, passed away at the age of 93 on January 30, 2025. Celebrated for rescuing the University from insolvency and for spearheading a campus renaissance, Ritchie was known not just for his steady and visionary leadership but also for his deep commitment to the people and institutions he held dear. Known as DU’s “cowboy chancellor,” Ritchie led the University from 1989 to 2005, assuming the job after six years on the Board of Trustees. When he started

wearing the position’s famous red vest, the University was wrangling with a financial crisis and shrinking enrollments. Ritchie brought his sense of integrity, commitment to excellence and pioneering spirit to the job. He also brought valuable expertise as a businessman, entrepreneur, rancher and civic leader. Before coming to DU, he had served as CEO of Westinghouse Broadcasting and had lived his longtime dream of raising cattle at his ranch outside of Kremmling.

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UNIVERSITY OF DENVER MAGAZINE | SPRING 2025