1911-2003 Former mayor Newton dies He left legacy of projects, leadership Former Denver mayor Quigg Newton modernized city government and left a legacy of major public works projects during his tenure in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
He went on to run the University of Colorado, where he was credited with propelling the school to national prominence. Newton, the city's oldest living ex-mayor, died Friday morning at Denver Health Medical Center after suffering a heart attack at the Denver Country Club on Wednesday afternoon. He was 91.
Services will be private. Denver Mayor Wellington Webb called Newton a great friend whose vision, dedication and compassion were grounded in values of excellence and fairness. "His gentle and self-deprecating manner made him a delight to be with," Webb said. "He was always more interested in hearing what others had to say than to talk about himself." The mayor ordered on Friday that all city flags be lowered to half-staff. "His tenure as a mayor was about reform and openness, and (he was) a true breath of fresh air for the city," former mayor Federico Pena said. "He raised the bar for future politicians." It was during Newton's mayoral tenure that Denver instituted the famous diagonal intersection crossings for downtown pedestrians. He hired a city traffic engineer, Henry Barnes, who came up with the diagonal crossings, allowing a time for pedestrians to cross when all vehicles are stopped. The "walk any way" plan was dubbed the "Barnes Dance." Initially it was a shock to residents and visitors, but later was copied in many cities. Newton was mayor from 1947 until 1955, then was vice president of the Ford Foundation. He came back to the state to be president of the University of Colorado at Boulder, a position he held from 1956 until 1963. Current CU president Elizabeth Hoffman called Newton "one of the most influential presidents" the university has ever had. He brought national laboratories to Boulder and emphasized research, she noted. "He fundamentally transformed the university to the nationally renowned research university it is today," Hoffman said. Newton lost a bid to run for the U.S. Senate in 1954 on the Democratic ticket; he was beaten by John Carroll, who went on to become senator. After leaving CU, Newton left Colorado and became head of the Commonwealth Foundation in New York. Later, he was a senior consultant for the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation in Palo Alto, Calif. He and his wife, Virginia, moved back to Denver in 1981. Newton pulled a "surprising upset," according to historian Tom Noel, when he was elected mayor, defeating Mayor Ben Stapleton, who had been at the helm of the city for 20 years. At 35, Newton was the youngest mayor the city ever had. Newton announced he wanted to end "cronyism" at city hall "and get rid of all those Stapleton Spittoons" there. During his mayoral term, Newton expanded the main public library, oversaw a $5 million expansion of Stapleton Airport, added a sports arena to City Auditorium, and had a new coliseum built for the National Western Stock Show. He also set up the Career Service Authority and the city's first Committee on Human Relations, and he approved the city's first sales tax. He gave health a priority by bringing in Dr. Florence Sabin to direct the city's first department of public health. He originated a group of local governments that eventually developed into the Denver Regional Council of Governments. His administration established the first central planning office, built 2,300 public housing units, a master traffic-control system and reorganized the police force. It was during Newton's term, and because of so much construction, that the city began using the slogan "Denver Builds." Newton was a member of an old Republican family but was unaffiliated when he was mayor. While he was president at CU, the school became the fifth largest university west of the Mississippi River and began attracting nationally known educators. James Quigg Newton Jr. was born Aug. 3, 1911, to a prominent Denver family. He wanted to be known as Quigg to distinguish himself from his father, James. Quigg was also his grandmother's maiden name, according to his niece, Fabby Hillyard. Hillyard, director of Denver's Theater and Arenas Department, said her uncle served as an inspiration. "Quigg understood that leadership is about compassion and listening," Hillyard said. In recent years, Quigg was slowed by physical ailments but was mentally sharp, and he insisted on not being a homebody, she said. "He had to slow down, but that didn't mean he did not want to be with his friends," she said. Newton earned his bachelor's and law degrees at Yale University and was a naval officer in World War II. During his seven years at CU, the school established the Bureau of Institutional Research; expanded cultural programs, including the Shakespeare Festival; and improved foreign language classes that led to increased registration of foreign students. He also promoted the standardization of campus construction so that the "Tuscan vernacular style" would be uniform throughout the campus. The architecture "has made the school nationally recognizable for its beauty and elegance," according to Hoffman. CU chancellor Richard Byyny was Newton's physician and friend but said Newton "was much more than a patient." "He was a visionary academic administrator and an innovative civic leader," he said. Under Newton, the school developed world-class programs in physics, chemistry and space sciences, Byyny said. Newton was a familiar figure in Denver and even in recent years could be spotted riding the 16th Street Mall shuttle, giving speeches and meeting with mayors and ex-mayors. With his customary self-deprecating humor, he told the Women's Forum in a 1989 speech that he had earlier been signing checks at a local bank. The teller saw his name and asked, "Are you related to the former mayor of Denver?" Newton replied, "I am the former mayor." The woman replied, "I thought you died a long time ago." Newton is survived by his wife, Virginia; four daughters, Virginia Rice of Boulder, Nancy Newton Grusin of Santa Fe, Nelle Grainger of Taos, and Abby Hornung of New York City; and eight grandchildren. Contributions may be made to the University of Colorado Foundation for the Quigg and Virginia Newton Endowed Chair in Leadership, 4740 Walnut St., Boulder, CO 80309; or to the University of Denver School of International Studies, 2201 S. Gaylord St., Denver, CO 80208. Denver Post staff writer Cindy Brovsky contributed to this report.
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QUIGG NEWTON