Schroeder, Pat, 1940-

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Patricia Nell Scott Schroeder (born July 30, 1940) is an American lawyer and politician who represented Colorado in the United States House of Representatives from 1973 to 1997. A member of the Democratic Party, Schroeder was the first female U.S. Representative elected in Colorado.

Born Patricia Nell Scott in Portland, Oregon, she was raised in Texas, Ohio, and Iowa, ultimately graduating from Theodore Roosevelt High School in Des Moines, Iowa in 1958. She graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1961, a member of Phi Beta Kappa majoring in philosophy, history, and political science. She earned a JD from Harvard Law School in 1964. On August 18, 1962, she married a law school classmate, James Schroeder, and the couple moved to Denver, Colorado. Following graduation, Schroeder took a job with the federal government for two years as a field attorney for the National Labor Relations Board. She later moved into private practice, taught law, and volunteered as counsel for Planned Parenthood.

With her husband's encouragement, Schroeder entered the 1972 race for the predominantly Democratic but conservative congressional district encompassing most of Colorado’s capital city of Denver. Running a grassroots campaign, she defeated first-term incumbent Republican Mike McKevitt with 52 percent of the vote. Schroeder was the first woman elected to Congress from Colorado and quickly became a driving force in the 1970s and 1980s as Democrats sought to rein in Cold War expenditures, asserting herself as a major advocate for arms control. Schroeder specialized in women's rights and reforms affecting the family, becoming a founding member of the Congressional Women’s Caucus and co-chairing it for 10 years. Frustrated by the growing partisanship in the House and dissatisfied with the progression of gender equality in Congress, Schroeder retired at the end of her twelfth term.

After a brief teaching stint at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Schroeder was appointed president and CEO of the Association of American Publishers in June 1997. She also was selected to lead a multi-year study for the Institute on Civil Society to identify and promote social programs to encourage social cohesion and restore a sense of community for Americans. Following her tenure at AAP, Schroeder and her husband relocated to Celebration, Florida, a master-planned community built by the Walt Disney Company.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Records of, Sojourner, (inclusive), (bulk), 1920-2004, 1975-2002 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Papers, 1947-2004 (inclusive), 1957-2004 (bulk) Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn National Organization for Women. Videotape collection of the National Organization for Women. 1977-1988. Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Photographs of the White House Photograph Office (Clinton Administration). 1/20/1993 - 1/20/2001. Photographs Relating to the Clinton Administration. 1/20/1993 - 1/20/2001. Photograph of President William J. Clinton Signing a Wilderness Act on the Tarmac of the Stapleton International Airport in Denver, Colorado William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
referencedIn National Organization for Women. Videotape collection of the National Organization for Women. 1977-1988. Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Harvard Law School Forums Records Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
creatorOf Schroeder, Pat. Commencement speech : delivered at Mount Holyoke College Commencement, 1992 May 24 Mount Holyoke College, Williston & Miles-Smith Library
referencedIn Sage Colleges Archives. Honorary degree recipient for 1980, Patricia Scott Schroeder. The Sage Colleges Libraries
creatorOf Schroeder, Pat. Pat Schroeder : commercials, 1972-1990. University of Oklahoma, Political Community Archives
referencedIn Tom McCall Forum Collection, 1982-2007 Pacific University Archives
referencedIn Papers, 1949-2007 (inclusive), 1971-2004 (bulk). Center for the History of Medicine. Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine.
referencedIn Additional papers of Betty Friedan, 1941-2006 (inclusive), 1980-2000 (bulk) Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Guide to the Daily Worker and Daily World Photographs Collection, 1920-2001 Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
referencedIn Candidates for public office campaign materials, 1966-1976 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Records of the National Association of Women Judges, 1979-1997 (inclusive), 1979-1989 (bulk) Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn William Howard Taft IV Papers, 1958-1989, (bulk 1970-1989) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Records of the National Association of Women Judges, 1979-1997 (inclusive), 1979-1989 (bulk) Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Audiotape collection of the National Women's Conference, 1977 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
creatorOf Patricia Schroeder papers University of Colorado at Boulder Libraries. Special Collections Dept.
referencedIn Papers of Florynce Kennedy, (inclusive), (bulk), 1915-2004, 1947-1993 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
creatorOf University of Rhode Island. Legacies of the Vietnam War Colloquium Series, 1965-2000. University of Rhode Island Library, Kingston, University Library
referencedIn East, Catherine Shipe. Papers of Catherine Shipe East. 1941-1995 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Records of the Women's Equity Action League, 1966-1979 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Suh, Jueong. U.S. Representative Patricia Schroeder [art original]. Denver Public Library, Central Library
creatorOf Pat Schroeder : [collection] : 1987-1988 ;. History Colorado
referencedIn Spring conference : Politics is a family affair / the family is a political affair. [Politics is a family affair / the family is a political affair] [sound recording] / hosted by the Center for Continuing Education. Sarah Lawrence College, Esther Raushenbush Library
referencedIn Photographs of Peace Corps Activities and Personnel (Contact Sheet File), 1961 - 1990 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Paul Gann Archive, 1978-1986 California state library
referencedIn [Videotape collection] [videorecording], 1984-1990 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
leaderOf Association of American Publishers corporateBody
correspondedWith Betty Friedan person
associatedWith Brazelton, T. Berry 1918- person
associatedWith Catherine East, 1916-1996 person
associatedWith Communist Party of the United States of America. corporateBody
employeeOf Denver Public Schools (Denver, Colo.) corporateBody
associatedWith Gann, Paul, 1912-1989 person
alumnusOrAlumnaOf Harvard Law School corporateBody
correspondedWith Harvard Law School Forum corporateBody
correspondedWith Judy Chicago, 1939- corporateBody
associatedWith Kennedy, Florynce person
associatedWith Mount Holyoke College corporateBody
associatedWith National Association of Women Judges, 1979- corporateBody
associatedWith National Association of Women Judges (U.S.) corporateBody
associatedWith National Organization for Women person
associatedWith National Organization for Women. corporateBody
associatedWith National Women's Conference corporateBody
associatedWith NOW Legal Defense & Education Fund corporateBody
employeeOf Planned parenthood federation of America corporateBody
employeeOf Princeton University corporateBody
associatedWith Sojourner (Cambridge, Mass.) corporateBody
associatedWith Suh, Jueong. person
correspondedWith Taft, William Howard, 1915 August 7- person
associatedWith Taft, William Howard, 1945- person
associatedWith Tom McCall Forum corporateBody
memberOf United States. Congress. House person
employeeOf United States. National Labor Relations Board corporateBody
alumnusOrAlumnaOf University of Minnesota. corporateBody
associatedWith University of Oklahoma. Political Commercial Archive. corporateBody
associatedWith University of Rhode Island. corporateBody
correspondedWith Women's Equity Action League corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
Minneapolis MN US
Cambridge MA US
Des Moines IA US
Portland OR US
Celebration FL US
Denver CO US
Subject
Advertising, political
Civil service
Television advertising
Women
Women in the civil service
Occupation
Teachers
Lawyers
Representatives, U.S. Congress
Activity

Person

Birth 1940-07-30

Female

Americans

English

Information

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