William Henry McNichols Jr. (April 11, 1910 – May 29, 1997) served as the Mayor of

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

from 1968 to 1983.

Biography

Born in Denver, McNichols was the son of Cassie and William H. McNichols Sr. His father served as Denver's City Auditor from 1931 until 1955. His younger brother,

Stephen Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...

, served as Governor of Colorado from 1957 to 1963. After he graduated from Denver's East High School, he attended the

University of Colorado-Boulder The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder, CU, or Colorado) is a public research university in Boulder, Colorado. Founded in 1876, five months before Colorado became a state, it is the flagship university of the University of Colorado syst ...

and then the

University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and largest of the publ ...

, though he did not receive a degree from either institution. During World War II, McNichols at age 33, enlisted in the Army and served in the 4th Armored Division (United States) engaged in the

Siege of Bastogne The siege of Bastogne () was an engagement in December 1944 between American and German forces at the Belgian town of Bastogne, as part of the larger Battle of the Bulge. The goal of the German offensive was the harbor at Antwerp. In order to r ...

. On April 4, 1945, the 4th armored Division liberated Ohrdruf concentration camp, the first Nazi camp liberated by U.S. troops. McNichols received three battle stars and the Purple Heart.

Political career

Appointed by Mayor Tom Currigan in 1963 as deputy mayor and manager of public works, Bill McNichols became mayor in December 1968 following Currigan's resignation to fill an executive position with

Continental Airlines Continental Airlines, simply known as Continental, was a major United States airline founded in 1934 and eventually headquartered in Houston, Texas. It had ownership interests and brand partnerships with several carriers. Continental started ...

. Campaigning in the city elections of 1971, 1975, and 1979, McNichols won a return to city hall. Running for reelection in May 1983, he finished third in votes behind

Federico Peña Federico Fabian Peña (born March 15, 1947) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 12th United States secretary of transportation from 1993 to 1997 and the 8th United States secretary of energy from 1997 to 1998, during the pre ...

and Dale Tooley. A significant factor in McNichols's failure to get re-elected was a two-day blizzard that began on December 24, 1982, and continued through the holiday. The massive storm dropped some two feet of snow, with more in some neighborhood; strong winds created impassible drifts. The city was virtually paralyzed as city crews failed to clear the streets for days. During his fourteen years in office, several construction projects changed the landscape of the city, including: *

16th Street Mall The 16th Street Mall is a pedestrian and transit mall in Denver, Colorado. The mall, 1.25 miles (2 kilometers) long, runs along 16th Street in downtown Denver, from Wewatta Street (at Union Station) to the intersection of 16th Avenue and Broad ...

McNichols Sports Arena McNichols Sports Arena was an indoor arena located in Denver, Colorado. Located adjacent to Mile High Stadium and completed in 1975, at a cost of $16 million, it seated 16,061 for hockey games and 17,171 for basketball games. Sports use It was ...

Denver Center for the Performing Arts The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) is an organization in Denver, Colorado which provides a showcase for live theatre, a nurturing ground for new plays, a preferred stop on the Broadway touring circuit, acting classes for the commun ...

Auraria Campus Auraria Campus is an educational facility located near downtown Denver, Colorado in the United States. The campus houses facilities of three separate universities and colleges: the University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver), Community College o ...

*The North Building addition to the

Denver Art Museum The Denver Art Museum (DAM) is an art museum located in the Civic Center of Denver, Colorado. With encyclopedic collections of more than 70,000 diverse works from across the centuries and world, the DAM is one of the largest art museums between ...

*Expansions of

Mile High Stadium Mile High Stadium (originally Bears Stadium until 1968) was an outdoor multi-purpose stadium located in Denver, Colorado from 1948 to 2001. The stadium was built in 1948 to accommodate the Denver Bears baseball team, which was a member of the ...

*Twenty new pools and recreational center From 1978–1979, McNichols served as president of the United States Conference of Mayors. In 1985, McNichols received the Citizen of the West Award, given by the

National Western Stock Show The National Western Stock Show is an annual livestock show and festival held every January at the National Western Complex in Denver, Colorado since 1906. The show’s original purpose was advertised as showings to demonstrate better breeding ...

to those who personify the spirit and determination of the Western pioneer. McNichols died at his home on May 29, 1997. He is buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in

Wheat Ridge, Colorado The City of Wheat Ridge is a home rule municipality located in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Wheat Ridge is located immediately west of Denver and is a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. T ...

. In 1999, the city's old Carnegie library building in

Civic Center Park The Denver Civic Center is a civic center area that includes two parks surrounded by government and cultural buildings and spaces. Civic Center is located in central Denver, Colorado, on the south side of Downtown Denver. Much of the area is a his ...

was renamed the McNichols Civic Center Building in honor of the McNichols family. Previously used as offices for the city administration, the Greek-revival style structure underwent restoration from 2011 to 2012 and now serves as a cultural center for public exhibitions and community events.Tom Noel, "A Civic Center gem revamped," ''Denver Post,'' November 18, 2012, p. 4D.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McNichols, William H. Jr. 1910 births 1997 deaths Colorado Democrats Mayors of Denver Military personnel from Colorado University of Alabama alumni University of Colorado Boulder alumni 20th-century American politicians Presidents of the United States Conference of Mayors United States Army personnel of World War II