National Political Conventions

Lately there has been buzz about Colorado hosting the 2008 Democratic National Convention (see Denver Post, 6/22/06). Interestingly, the last time Colorado hosted the DNC was in 1908 – exactly 100 years before. That year, the Democrats nominated William Jennings Bryan, who had many friends and political allies in Denver. The convention was held at the brand-new Auditorium Theater downtown. In a 1984 Colorado Heritage article (available at our library) about the 1908 convention, historian Phil Goodstein writes, “Politics had little to do with Denver securing the convention. In what appears to have a very contemporary ring, the convention was a product of Denver’s efforts to win a place as one of the leading convention cities in America.” With much the same attitude today, contemporary boosters are looking to again promote Denver as a “convention city.”