Denver County, History of Colorado, BIOS: WOLCOTT, Henry Roger (published 1918)
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"History of Colorado", edited by Wilbur Fisk Stone, published by The S. J. 
Clarke Publishing Co. (1918)  Vol. II

p.12-13
photo p. 11


HENRY ROGER WOLCOTT.

	A modern philosopher has said, "Not the good that comes to us, 
but the good that comes to the world through us, is the measure of our 
success;" and judged by this standard, Henry Roger Wolcott has been a 
most successful man, for he has done much to aid others, his 
philanthropic spirit being one of his most marked characteristics. His 
business success, whereby he has become a capitalist, has enabled him 
to continually extend a helping hand where aid is needed. He was for a 
considerable period one of Denver's best known and most honored 
citizens and he has here many friends, although he is now living in the 
Hawaiian islands. He was born .at Longmeadow, Massachusetts, on the 
15th of March, 1846, his parents being Samuel Wolcott, D. D., and 
Harriet Amanda (Pope) Wolcott, while his brother was Edward O. Wolcott, 
at one time United States senator from Colorado. He was one of a family 
of eleven children, ten of whom attained adult age. the ones besides 
the Senator and Henry Roger Wolcott being: Samuel Adams, who died in 
New London, Connecticut, in 1912; Harriet Agnes, who became the wife of 
F. O. Vaille, of Denver, and died there in August, 1917; the Rev. 
William Edgar Wolcott, who died in 1911 in Lawrence, Massachusetts; 
Katherine Ellen, the wife of Charles H. Toll, of Denver, Colorado, who 
was at one time attorney general of the state; Anna Louise, widow of 
Joel F. Vaile and formerly principal of the Wolcott School of Denver 
and regent of the University of Colorado; Clara Gertrude, living in 
Boston, Massachusetts; Herbert Walter, who makes his home in Cleveland, 
Ohio; and Charlotte Augusta, the wife of Colonel Charles Francis Bates 
of the United States Army.

	In the acquirement of his education Henry R. Wolcott attended the 
schools of Providence, Rhode Island, and Cleveland, Ohio. Yale 
University conferred upon him the honorary Master of Arts degree in 
1896 and from Colorado College he received the same honor in 1898. Mr. 
Wolcott's identification with Colorado dated from 1869 and for a brief 
period he was connected with mining interests in this state. In the 
spring of 1870 he secured a position in connection with the Boston and 
Colorado Smelting Works at Blackhawk and soon afterward was advanced to 
the position of assistant manager and was given charge of the plant 
erected at Alma, Colorado, in 1873 in addition to his position at 
Blackhawk. His marked ability and his faithfulness to the Interests 
entrusted to his care are qualities indicated in the fact that when the 
company erected larger works at Argo, near Denver, he was assigned to 
the position of acting manager of the new plant. He also became 
treasurer of the Colorado Smelting & Mining Company, and extending his 
efforts into still other fields, was elected to the directorate of the 
Equitable Life Assurance Society and became recognized as one of the 
foremost business men not only of Denver and of Colorado but of the 
entire west. He was largely instrumental in securing the erection of 
the Boston building and the Equitable building in Denver and he figured 
prominently in banking circles, being for a decade vice president of 
the First National Bank of Denver. In fact his name is widely known 
among prominent financiers of New York and New England as well as of 
the west. As the years passed he became extensively connected with 
mining interests and for a number of years was vice president of the 
Colorado Fuel & Iron Company and also was the president of the Colorado 
Telephone Company.

	Over the public life of Denver, Mr. Wolcott exerted a widely felt 
and beneficial influence. It was largely his effort that secured Fort 
Logan as a military post for Denver and he was instrumental in 
organizing the Denver Club, of which he became a charter member and of 
which he was president for many years. Whatever has been of benefit to 
city and state has been sure of his cooperation and generous aid. He 
has been most liberal in his donations to educational and charitable 
institutions and has been a stanch friend of Colorado College at 
Colorado Springs, which was established in 1879, and it was through his 
contribution and efforts that the Wolcott medal for excellence in 
public reading was established for the young ladies of the East Denver 
high school.

	Mr. Wolcott has been a prominent figure in political circles and 
his opinions have carried weight in the councils of the republican 
party. Gilpin county elected him its representative in the state senate 
in 1878 and he served for a four years' term at the same time when his 
brother, Edward Oliver Wolcott, was representing Clear Creek county in 
the upper house of the general assembly. Henry R. Wolcott was chosen 
president pro tern of the senate and because of this position was 
called upon during his term to serve as acting governor of Colorado. In 
this connection a contemporary biographer wrote: "He thus performed the 
functions of the gubernatorial office, which four of his family had 
exercised in Connecticut and Massachusetts." In 1882 he was the leading 
republican candidate at the state convention for the office of 
governor, but elements entering into the United States senatorial 
contest caused his defeat, although he was a very popular man for the 
position. He was defeated for governor at the state election in 1898 
owing to chaotic conditions which were prevalent not only in Colorado 
but in the entire west in relation to political affairs. The strongest 
ties of affection and comradeship as well as the blood ties of a family 
relationship connected the two Senators Wolcott. They were companions 
on the European trip on which Edward Oliver Wolcott passed away on the 
Riviera, and the devotion of Henry Roger Wolcott to his brother was one 
of the strongest and most beautiful traits of his character.

	In club circles throughout the entire country Henry R. Wolcott is 
prominently and widely known, having membership in the Union, Union 
League and University Clubs of New York, also the Racquet and Tennis, 
Brook, Lambs, New York Yacht and Larchmont Yacht Clubs of New York; the 
Atlantic Yacht, the Manhasset, the Tavern Clubs of Boston; the 
Metropolitan Club of Washington; and the Denver and University Clubs of 
Denver. His splendid mental attainments and the moral force of his 
character have made him popular wherever he is known. He is now 
residing in the Hawaiian islands but he counts his friends in Denver by 
the score. Extremely modest and free from ostentation, he has 
nevertheless been recognized as one of Denver's foremost 
philanthropists, his gifts to charitable and benevolent projects being 
many. His life has been filled with kindly acts, has been prompted by 
the most honorable purposes and has ever reached toward the highest 
ideals.