Ritchie Center

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Steve Landis, Murray Armstrong, 1990, bronze

The statue commemorates Murray Armstrong (b. 1916), hockey coach at the University of Denver for 21 years beginning in 1956/57. He coached The Pioneers to 5 NCAA titles in those 21 years. Steve Landis, the artist, was a former hockey player at Denver and was coached by Armstrong. The statue was unveiled in celebration of the 40th anniversary of Denver University hockey. IAS files contain transcription of adjacent plaque, article from Denver Post, Aug. 4, 1990; and additional citations to Denver Post (Aug. 3, 1990, sect. D, pg. 3); and Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO) Aug. 3, 1990, pg. 82.

Location: Hallway outside Hamilton Gymnasium


Kathi Caricof and Madeline Weiner, Portrait of Marion Gottesfeld, 2000, bas-relief sculpture

A tireless fundraiser and advocate of higher education, Marion S. Gottesfeld (1917-2001) came to be known as the “godmother” of the University of Denver. Her association with DU began soon after her arrival in Colorado in the late 1940s. She was appointed to the University of Denver’s Board of Trustees in 1953, and at the time of her death in 2001, her tenure was the longest of any DU trustee – 48 years of service. Her many contributions to the University include the formation of the Women’s Library Association, which has raised over three million dollars in funds for Penrose Library. She also helped to establish the University’s Center for Judaic Studies, Holocaust Awareness Institute, and Lamont Music Associates.

Location: Marion Gottesfeld Room


Ken Miller and Linda Paulsen, Williams Tower Murals (The Spoken Word, Symbolic Expression, The Written Word, The Printed Word, Digital Transformation), 2002, mural series

The interior ornament of the Williams Tower is loosely based on 6th century Byzantine design aesthetic, and its numerous subsequent design revivals, particularly those of the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Russia and the United States. These later revivals often incorporated elements from prevailing design styles, including those of the Arts and Crafts revival, and the Art Nouveau movement.

The murals themselves, presented in trompe l’oeil stone, portray four great milestones in the development of human communications. They speak of the essential endeavor of mankind as a social being to reach out to one another through the act of communication in all its many forms.

Installation of the Tower’s interior decorative scheme took place in 2002 through a gift from Carl Williams and University Trustee Scott Reiman. Concept and design by Ken Miller and Linda Paulsen, The Grammar of Ornament Inc., Denver, Colorado. Execution and installation of design work by Create-a-Scene under the direction of Karin Mirick.

Location: Williams Tower

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