Patricia Nell Scott Schroeder was an American politician who represented Colorado in the United States House of Representatives from 1973 to 1997, best known for being a pioneer for women’s and family rights and was credited for redefining the role of women in American politics. Schroeder was a pilot, she earned her pilot’s license at 15 and attended the University of Minnesota where she majored in philosophy, history and political science. Subsequently she went to Harvard Law School, where she... morePatricia Nell Scott Schroeder was an American politician who represented Colorado in the United States House of Representatives from 1973 to 1997, best known for being a pioneer for women’s and family rights and was credited for redefining the role of women in American politics. Schroeder was a pilot, she earned her pilot’s license at 15 and attended the University of Minnesota where she majored in philosophy, history and political science. Subsequently she went to Harvard Law School, where she was one of 15 women in a class of more than 500 graduating in 1964. In 1972 Schroeder was elected to Congress in Colorado and became one of its most influential Democrats. She was the first woman on the House Armed Services Committee. Schroeder helped steer passage of legislation on family leave which guaranteed women and men get up to 18 weeks of unpaid leave to care for a family member. And the pregnancy discrimination which barred employers from dismissing women because they were pregnant and from denying them maternity benefits. She became so popular so much so that she was reelected 11 times from her district in Denver. Schroeder won a lot of awards during her lifetime was inducted into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame in 1985 and the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1995.
