RSVP Catching up with the social scene VIPs turn out for Citizen of theWest
The Citizen of theWest Dinner always brings out the bigwigs, and the 2014 edition honoring
was no exception. Take a look:
Hamilton, who modestly describes himself as a “scrappy wildcatter and philanthropist,” was introduced by the 61st Secretary of State, James Baker. Baker was introduced by former U.S. Sen. Alan
the 1990 Citizen of theWest. Remarks leading up to these introductions were delivered by Gov. John Hickenlooper, DenverMayor Michael Police Chief
and master of ceremonies
The record 940 guests at this benefit for the NationalWestern Scholarship Trust also included such former honorees as John
(2013);
(2006) and (2008). The dinner happened to fall on the same day that Hamilton’s gift of 22 masterworks by the most revered names in French Impressionism to the Denver Art Museum was announced. DAMdirector
his
who succeeded Hamilton as chair of the DAMboard; and former DAMpresident
also were in attendance.
Baker, who also was chief of staff for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, and his wife, Susan, met Hamilton and his wife of 60 years, Jane, some 25 years ago. Baker credits Hamilton’s success to “ingenuity and real-world smarts” and describes his friend as someone “as unique and complex as that museum wing that bears his names and juts out into the Colorado sky.”
Following cocktails served in the National Western Events Center paddock, the Denver Police Department Color Guard and Bagpipers led the Hamilton family into the main arena. They were accompanied by National Western Scholarship Trust recipients carrying flags from their respective schools and three members of the 2014 “rodeo royalty”: Miss Rodeo America Paige Nicholson, Miss Rodeo Colorado Rhianna Russell and Miss RodeoWyoming
The dinner, chaired this year by
raised enough money to fund 75 scholarships, ranging in size from$2,500 to $6,000, for students pursuing degrees in agribusiness, rural family medicine and largeanimal veterinary medicine at 10 colleges in Colorado andWyoming.
Others enjoying the beef tenderloin dinner from Continental Divine Cater-
ster
and and Dr. ing were NationalWestern board chair
and
Denver District Attorney MitchMorris
whose wife, Maggie, was on the dinner’s arrangements committee;
former Stock Show chief and his wife, University of Colorado president
and his