Boulder declared Dec. 19 as Dick Jessor Day in honor of his more than 70 years at the University of Colorado and as a city resident.

“I was just overwhelmed by that,” said the 100-year-old professor and World War II veteran. “The fact that the city took the time and effort to develop a declaration in my honor just really blew me away.”

Jessor was a faculty member at CU for 70 years before retiring in 2021. He co-founded and directed the university’s Institute of Behavioral Science, and the Richard Jessor Building was renamed in his honor. When the building was under construction, Jessor gave up his entire salary and benefits package for five years to close the final $1 million funding gap. He remains affiliated with CU as a distinguished professor emeritus of behavioral science.

He was also an advocate for diversity in higher education and had a lifelong interest in rock climbing and mountaineering. In the 1950s and 1960s, he was a volunteer backup for the Rocky Mountain Rescue Group, an all-volunteer professional search and rescue team.

Before he was a professor, Jessor was a Marine who fought in World War II and survived the Battle of Iwo Jima, one of the deadliest battles in Marine Corps history.

The City Council created Dick Jessor Day “in honor of Dr. Jessor’s incredible contributions to the city.”

— Daily Camera