It is with great pleasure that Special Collections and Archives welcomes our longtime supporter of the department Robert (Bob) S. Pulcipher as 2024’s recipient of the Eleanor Gehres Award.
In 1999, the Denver Public Library Commission established the Eleanor Gehres Award in recognition of her longtime service and contributions to the Western History and Genealogy Department of the Denver Public Library. Gehres’s passion for enlarging library audiences and developing a remarkable and accessible research collection inspired the creation of the Eleanor Gehres Award, first bestowed on her shortly before her death in 2000.
The award honors an individual or an organization that has made a significant contribution to library materials (books, manuscripts, photographs, maps, works of art, or other items), scholarship, life-long service, or bequest, thereby enhancing the Western History Collection and its value to the community.
Robert S. Pulcipher’s unwavering support of the Denver Public Library and Western History and Genealogy Department is demonstrated through his decades of service and willingness to share his many talents. At a time when the Denver Public Library Friends Foundation was known as the Denver Public Library Foundation, Pulcipher served as treasurer and later became president of the organization. He led the Foundation’s used book sales, which continue to this day and help supplement the Library’s budget.
Even now, Pulcipher’s support continues through his participation as an active DPL’s Special Collections and Archives Department Community Acquisitions Committee member. In his over 20 years of tenure with the committee, he’s helped acquire papers of Western authors such as Karen Holliday Tanner and John Douglas Tanner, as well as records from the First National Bank of Denver dating back to the late 1800s. He’s also generously donated his work and theses to the Library’s collections.
Outside of the Library, Pulcipher is a respected Army veteran, author, and accomplished community leader. During his ten years in the Army, Robert was on active duty and in the reserves serving as a Captain and company commander of recruits at Fort Dix after graduating from Infantry Officer Training School at Fort Moore (formerly Fort Benning), Georgia. He was Vice President of the First National Bank of Denver, a member of the Denver Posse of Westerners, and Director of the Western Outlaw and Lawman Association. Additionally, he was appointed by Governor Vanderhood and Governor Lamm to be a part of the Colorado Centennial-Bicentennial Commission. Even after retirement, Robert continues to contribute to the community as a current member of the Wild West History Association advisory board. Education and history preservation are vital to Pulcipher. He once told the Denver Post, “The most fundamental function of a city is to provide a good, free public library."
Robert S. Pulcipher’s activism, acquisitions, and continued support have strengthened the organization and department for decades and will, no doubt, continue to do so for many years. We would like to offer our sincerest thanks to Bob for his dedication and contributions. His nomination and award are truly well-earned!
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