Byron White Family Memorial & Learning Garden gives a nod to Wellington’s past while keeping an eye on its future
A public tribute to one of Wellington’s most well-known residents is complete and open to the public, all thanks to the efforts of a local Boy Scout.
The Byron White Family Memorial and Learning Garden is located just outside the Wellington Public Library. The garden is a memorial for the family of Byron “Whizzer” White, who served as a Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court for more than 30 years after a legendary athletic career at the University of Colorado and the National Football League.
White was born in 1917 in Larimer County and raised in Wellington. He attended Wellington High School, graduating as valedictorian in 1934. After a standout career as a halfback for the University of Colorado, White was drafted in 1938 by the Pittsburgh Pirates (now known as the Steelers) of the NFL. After three successful seasons in the NFL — White didn’t play in the 1939 season while attending Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar — White retired from professional sports in 1941.
After enrolling in law school at Yale, White was called to serve his country during World War II. White served as a naval intelligence officer in the Pacific Theater from 1942-1945, earning two Bronze Star medals. Following his honorable discharge, White continued law school at Yale, graduating in 1946. After briefly serving as clerk for Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson of the U.S. Supreme Court, White returned to Colorado to enter private practice.
In 1961, John F. Kennedy, an old acquaintance of White’s, named him the United States Deputy Attorney General. Just over a year later, in April 1962, Kennedy nominated White to be an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He was confirmed the same month and went on to serve in the role for more than 31 years, one of the longest tenures by a justice in the 20th century.
White wrote 994 opinions during his time on the bench, reflecting an ideology that didn’t conform to partisan political divides. He added his voice to important topics like substantive due process, abortion, the death penalty and Civil Rights. White retired from the U.S. Supreme Court in 1993 and remained an active part of the legal community — particularly in Colorado — until his death in 2002. In 1994, the year after he retired, the Federal Courthouse in Denver was renamed in his honor.
Despite living such an extraordinary life, there was no indication in White’s own hometown that he had ever even lived there — until Carter Larsen got involved.
Larsen is a local teen who, in 2022, was pursuing the prestigious Eagle Scout rank as a member of Boy Scout Troop 96. For his Eagle Scout project, Larsen decided to create the memorial and learning garden as a way to memorialize White’s life and accomplishments as well as to inspire future generations of Wellington residents.
“This project means so much to me,” Larsen told writer Annie Lindgren as the garden neared completion in 2024. “As a Scout, it is my duty to give back to the community and inspire others and I could not think of a better way to do so.”
The project broke ground in September 2022. With the help and support of his family, Troop 96, generous donors, enthusiastic volunteers, the Wellington Main Street Program, and Wellington Public Library Director Ross LaGenese, Carter spent almost two years transforming the space outside the library entrance into a community garden featuring xeriscape landscape design, native drought resistant plants and flowers, and space for community members to gather.
Larsen’s project even incorporated the site’s existing flagpole, which was part of Will Daknis’ 2013 Eagle Scout project honoring late library director Gene Ann Trant.
In June 2024, a ribbon-cutting ceremony officially opened the memorial and learning garden. In late 2024, the final detail was completed when a plaque highlighting White’s accomplishments and a list of project contributors was affixed to a rock in the garden. Now, the garden is ready to serve and educate Wellington residents for years to come.
“The Byron White Family Memorial and Learning Garden is a great reminder of what children in Wellington can aspire to — both the accomplishments Byron White achieved in his lifetime as well as the care and diligence Carter displayed throughout this project,” LaGenese said. “It will also serve as a great learning tool and gathering space for future generations in Wellington.”
The project has drawn praise from people outside Wellington, too. In November 2024, Carter earned his Eagle Scout rank after a lengthy review process, which included a review of his project by the District Scout office.
“I thought that the Byron White Memorial garden was very detailed and the thought process on those details made the project unique to what I had seen,” said Mick Neu, who lead Larsen’s board of review on behalf of the district office. “The time and the volunteers’ dedication to helping him become a leader of the project was outstanding — and to incorporate the flag pole of a previous Eagle Scout’s project was a tribute, in my opinion.”
Along with helping Larsen earn the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout, the project also serves as a reminder of what the Wellington community is capable of when different members work together toward a common goal.
“I was so proud to present my Eagle Scout project, the Byron White Family Memorial Learning Garden, to the panel members on my board of review and highlight what is possible with the power of community,” Larsen said. “Thanks to teamwork between Troop 96, The Town of Wellington’s Main Street Program, and Ross LaGenese at the Library, kids visiting the library will be inspired to learn that a Supreme Court Justice was raised right here in Wellington.”
The Byron White Family Memorial and Learning Garden is located near the entrance to the Wellington Public Library in the Leeper Center, located at 3800 Wilson Ave. in Wellington.