Mary Reed is Not Unnoticed

The plate that honors the work of Mary Reed and her contribution to the Mary Reed library states:

“Mrs. Verner Z. Reed, humanist, philanthropist, whose benefactions have provided shelter and care for children, refuge for the homeless, facilities for the sick and for those who seek to relieve them through search for cure of disease, and help for countless persons in distress; whose love for music, art and learning has had both private and public demonstration, now adds to the already impressive buildings that serve and adorn this community, this crowning expression of her distinguished conception of fine and suitable architecture, a gift to the University of Denver, the Mary Reed Library”(Stearns).

Helped in Time of the Great Depression

In spring of the Great Depression, unemployment had risen from 8 to 15 million. This was about one-third of the non-farmer workforce. In Denver, one out of every four adults living in Denver was out of work. The unemployed men that were affected by the depression worried Mary Reed and she saw it as an opportunity to be unselfish.


She “ordered that one of her mines in Cripple Creek to be opened to provide jobs for men with families”(Landers).

Mary Reed

Mary Reed looks like a beautiful, elegant woman. In this photo Mary Reed has a simple look on her face thats make her seem trustworthy. She was a selfless woman that was known for being a generous philanthropist that contributed much of her time in helping others ("Mary Reed"). She donated money not only to the University of Denver, but also to hospitals, schools, and the unemployed.

The building

The Mary Reed Building has a total net square space usage of 63,761 sq. ft. There is a seating capacity of five hundred persons and a stack capacity of four hundred thousand volumes. It also has several conference and study rooms. The building has a three-story tower with a “height of 126 feet with dimensions 30 feet by 30 feet”(“Mary Reed” P8). After looking at the building, it seemed as though it was very spacious inside. There are three stories, which made it seem as if it can hold a lot of rooms. (Cotorcea). This building, however, had many limitations. It was a bit hurried and had inadequate space for study needs: no faculty study areas and seating was jammed. There was not enough space for students to study; they were all crammed together. By the looks of the building, however, it seems as though there is a lot of space. There are not that many windows, which makes it seem as though there is more room for chairs and students.

First Contribution

Mary Reed's first contribution was to the Margery Reed Mayo Memorial Building, intentionally named after her daughter. In order to build this hall, Mary donated about $400,000 in 1926. This contribution led to many other donations.

Mary Reed

Mary Reed was married to Verner Z. Reed and shortly after his death, April 21, 1919, he left all his money to Mary. It was estimated to be about twenty million dollars. Shortly after her husband's death, her daughter, Margery, died in 1925. Her daughter was a former graduate of the University of Denver and Mary decided to dedicate her life to donations and take up some of her daughter's favorite causes: childcare and higher education for women.