University of Denver Winter 2023

Photo by Wayne Armstrong

For nearly 10 years, athletes, academics and artists alike were all dedicated regulars at the campus’s favorite hot dog stand, where Yakov Neyman spent his weekdays selling a variety of dogs, brats and toppings along Asbury Avenue near Sturm Hall. Born in Babruysk, Belarus, in 1939, Neyman, his mother and brother trekked to Siberia to escape the Nazis. In 1980, his mother moved to the United States, while Neyman remained in Leningrad, completing a PhD and getting married. Twelve years after his mother left Russia, Neyman, along with his wife and daughter, moved to Denver, where he was employed at an airbag factory until he was laid off in 2001. Not one to embrace an early retirement, Neyman moved in with his daughter and her husband and bought a hotdog cart.

Until his death in October 2012, Neyman was always ready to provide the campus with a quick lunch—often with a side of sage advice.

Send us your memories at du-magazine@du.edu

WINTER 2023 • UNIVERSITY of DENVER MAGAZINE | 33