A leader in establishing the National Western Stock Show as a premier show.
1918-1999 | Artist: C.J. Fox Studios (commercial portrait studio, specific artist not attributed)
Impact & Accomplishments
Born in Wyoming and raised in Colorado, Nick Petry graduated from the University of Colorado in 1940 and served in the Second World War, supervising the construction of airplane manufacturing plants. After the war, he returned to Denver to join his father’s prominent construction company, which helped to shape the city’s skyline.
He became president of N. G. Construction in the late 1950s. Petry established the Grizzly Ranch in Walden, Colorado (1958), and the Mill Iron Ranch (1977) in Saratoga, Wyoming. His love of livestock was apparent when he was elected president of the National Western Stock Show in 1966. During his nineteen-year tenure there, Petry oversaw efforts to renovate and expand the facility, and he established a major scholarship fund. He became chairman of the stock show’s board in 1986.
Nick Petry also served on the boards of Colorado National Bank, United Airlines, Eaton Corporation, Westin Hotels, Public Service Company of Colorado, and the Denver Water Board. He remained active at his alma mater, chairing the board of the CU Foundation. Named Citizen of the West in 1986, Petry was also inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners in 2002.
Did You Know?
Petry is well known for the famed moveable east stands at the original Mile High Stadium that his company constructed.
Courtesy RockyMountainJA