Schroeder, Patricia (1940–)

Patricia Nell Scott Schroeder was a pioneer for women, a Democratic politician who represented the state of Colorado in the U.S. House of Representatives. After completing a law degree at Harvard, Schroeder moved to Denver, Colorado, where she began her career by working as a lawyer for the National Labor Relations Board. She also became involved with the community by working closely with the local Planned Parenthood chapter and teaching in the Denver public school system.

In 1972, she was elected to Congress as a Democrat in Colorado's first district, based in Denver. This first [Page 734]electoral victory was a narrow one, but she was reelected without contest the following 11 times with a platform consisting of anti–Vietnam War sentiments and the reordering of national priorities ...