Photo by: Scott Casey

About 200 students, faculty and alumni attended the dedication of the Frank H. Ricketson Jr. Law Building on April 2 in front of the law school.

Alum Scott Sarange said, “This is a beautiful ceremony for a beautiful building.”

Chancellor Ritchie spoke of Frank H. Ricketson’s life.

Frank H. Ricketson earned his Juris Doctor in 1918 from the University of Denver and later became the Denver Post’s sports news editor.

Ricketson opened a movie theatre chain in Montrose Colorado and promptly sold it for cash.

Ricketson was also on the board of the University of Denver, YMCA, United Way, Museum of Nature and Science and the Central City Opera.

Ritchie said, “Everybody turned to [Ricketson] for his wisdom and commitment to the community he cared so much for.”

Mary E. Ricketson, dean of the law school, spoke about the future of the law school and its new building.

“This building embodies all the possibility and promise of future generations of outstanding legal professionals,” she said.

The President of the American Bar Association, Dennis Archer gave the dedication address.

Archer is a former Detroit mayor and also a former Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court.

Archer said, “The University of Denver should be proud of the newly constructed law building, but especially proud of the students and faculty that give the University of Denver a name to be proud of.”

Events celebrating the naming cermeony lasted all day and included a lunch and keynote speaker.

The dedication ceremony began with a medieval tradition of a procession of the faculty, the law class of 1954 and the Golden Barristers.

The construction of the law school was completed this past summer, and classes began in the new building last fall.