University of Denver Spring 2025

The ranching life offered him a chance to immerse himself in a culture characterized by what he called “cowboy ethics.” To Ritchie, cowboy ethics meant putting personal agendas aside for the greater good, a concept he later worked hard to instill at DU. Ritchie’s tireless advocacy for DU is now the stuff of legend. He presided over a fundraising campaign that allowed DU to make more than $400 million in investments in new facilities and infrastructure. One of

the key donations was his own: In 1994, he gave the University a large portion of his beloved Grand River Ranch, the sale of which netted DU $15 million. That gift set a philanthropy record in Colorado, outdistancing all previous gifts to education nonprofits. Not long thereafter, Ritchie presented DU with the rest of the spread, for a total gift of $50 million. In recognition, DU named its athletics complex the Daniel L. Ritchie Center for Sports & Wellness. Convinced that DU should focus on preparing students for the responsibilities of global citizenship, he launched the Cherrington Global Scholars international education program, a move that made DU one of the nation’s leading institutions for undergraduate participation in study abroad. He also spearheaded the Denver Pioneers’ move to NCAA Division I Athletics and was a frequent presence at games and matches. After leaving the chancellor’s position in 2005, Ritchie served as chairman of DU’s Board of Trustees for two years. In 2007, primed for another challenge, he became chairman and CEO of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Ritchie’s ties to DU remained strong for the rest of his life. He

served as an honorary life trustee, and in 2013, he donated his Santa Barbara ranch, valued at $27 million, to fund construction of a new building for the Daniel Felix Ritchie School of Engineering and

Computer Science, named after his father. Months later, he made a $1 million gift, matched by the University, in honor of his late mother, creating the Jessie Dee Ritchie Endowed Graduate Scholarship Fund for Music. His mother, herself a singer, had introduced him to opera and instilled in him a love of music. In recognition of his leadership and ongoing support of learning, DU presented Ritchie with its highest honor, the Founders Medal, at the annual Founders Gala in March 2018. “DU has lost its greatest friend and champion,” said Chancellor Jeremy Haefner. “And all of us who knew Dan have lost a loyal friend, a wise counselor and an unparalleled role model.”

From impromptu dance parties to humbly picking up trash on campus and inspiring countless students to be their best selves, read touching stories from alumni and the DU community about Ritchie’s life at du.edu/ritchietribute . READERS SHARE MEMORIES OF Dan Ritchie

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UNIVERSITY OF DENVER MAGAZINE | SPRING 2025