Wayne Aspinall
b. April 3, 1896 - d. Oct 9, 1983
Role
Colorado Congressman who spoke at the Beaver Meadows dedication ceremony
Date of Involvement
June 24, 1967
Context
Congressman Wayne Aspinall was chosen to deliver the opening speech at the dedication ceremony for Beaver Meadows Visitor Center on June 24, 1967. In this speech, “Parks & People: Past, Present and Future,” Aspinall recommends that the Headquarters Building be dedicated to Enos Mills, the “Father of Rocky Mountain National Park.” In October of 1967, following the Beaver Meadows dedication ceremony, the acting superintendent requested park officials forgo naming the entire structure after Mills, but instead name the auditorium, “Mills Auditorium.” The proposed plaque text can be seen in the memo linked below.
In his speech, Aspinall also discussed the friction between conservationist goals of environmental protection and the contrasting National Park Service mission of providing “enjoyment for the people”. He effectively sums up Mission 66’s intention to accommodate the growing trend in parks visitation when he says, “The time to begin to plan [for the future] is now.” However, competing goals of conservationists and the American public would plague Mission 66 throughout its construction and beyond. A full transcription of his speech can be seen in the link below (ROMO Archives, 1967).
Education
Aspinall studied at the University of Denver until World War I, at which point he enlisted in the war and served as a corporal staff sergeant in the Air Service of the Signal Corps. After the war, he returned to the University of Denver where he graduated in 1919. He continued his work in law and graduated from Denver Law School in 1925 and began practicing in Palisade, Colorado the same year (Colorado Encyclopedia, 2017).
Career
Related Primary Sources to Explore
Enos Mills Auditorium Memo (Collection 1192 Series 2_1 Folder 317_2)
Wayne Aspinall's Dedication Speech for the Administration Building (Collection 1192 Series 002.1 folder 406 Speech)
