The Story Behind DU’s Workers’ Walls

University buildings are designed to stand the test of time. Take University Hall: Its Romanesque architecture, common on campuses nationwide, reflects generations of learning and offers a timeless nod to the enduring values of higher education.

But in the past few decades, University of Denver buildings have been making another statement—one not just about higher learning but about the hands that build the structures where thousands of students learn, study, and create lifelong memories each year.   

In six buildings across campus, you’ll find a “workers’ wall”—a stone or glass panel etched with the names of everyone involved in the building’s construction. Whether a worker contributed to the ductwork, mechanics, or masonry, their name is listed alphabetically alongside hundreds or thousands of others, without regard to hierarchy or job status.

Where it began

The idea for the workers’ walls, according to DU’s longtime architect, Mark Rodgers—recently retired after 31 years—was sparked during the construction of the Ritchie Center in the late 1990s.

As then-Chancellor Daniel Ritchie toured the site with Calhoun “Cal” Cox of Calcon Constructors, Cal praised the subcontractors’ exceptional craftsmanship—a comment that struck a chord with Ritchie, who was leading efforts to revive the University following its financial struggles in the 1980s.

“As I understand it, [Ritchie and Cox] said, ‘We really should recognize all those people that have worked on this building, all the hands,’” says Rodgers, “And so the idea came forward that the building needed a workers’ wall.”

Located at the south end of the Ritchie Center, that wall would be the first of six—including those at Anderson Academic Commons, the Newman Center for the Performing Arts, Nagel Hall, Ruffatto Hall, and Burwell Center for Achievement. Although Ritchie’s goal wasn’t necessarily to create a workers’ wall for every building, the idea gained traction with the community and the Chancellors that followed.

Ritchie’s hope was that future students could bring their grandfathers or great grandfathers to campus and point to their names on the walls—a different type of legacy than the sandstone, limestone, and copper roof of the Ritchie Center. At the heart of the project was a declaration of DU’s ties to the community. 

“We care about the people. We care about who builds our buildings as much as we care about building themselves,” says Rodgers.

A logistical challenge

As DU breaks ground on its newest building, STEM Horizons, the tradition of collecting the names of the workers who contributed to it will continue—but it’s no easy feat.

Rodgers has used clever means to gather names, first informing the design team of the task at hand and then utilizing rosters from required security training protocols. Oftentimes, the team deciphers names when workers sign off after they take trainings on traffic patterns, safety gear, and other on-site rules.

They then spell-check and create a master list, using alphabetical order to highlight “that all these people were necessary, and that there's not any one person who is more important than another,” says Rodgers.

Next they determine a location—should it be inside, outside, covered, stone or glass? Where is a place that’s easy for people to see and visit in the future?

“A lot of it has to do with finding a good location where you can fit that many names,” says Rodgers.

Glass is preferred because it allows for updates—whether to fix a misspelling, add a worker, or reflect a name change due to marriage or divorce. Mistakes are made, but perfection isn’t the goal; the goal is to recognize those who did the work.

“It's not just the building, it's the team,” says Rodgers. “It's the folks that work together on something.”

Workers’ Walls on Campus
- Nagel Hall
- Newman Center for the Performing Arts
- Ritchie Center
- Anderson Academic Commons
- Burwell Center for Career Achievement
- Ruffatto Hall