Patricia Schroeder, née Patricia Nell Scott, byname Pat, (born July 30, 1940, Portland, Oregon, U.S. died March 13, 2023, Celebration, Florida), U.S. politician who was the first woman elected to Congress from Colorado, serving in the U.S. House of Representatives (1973–97). She was known for her outspoken liberal positions on social welfare, women’s rights, and military spending. Schroeder received a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Minnesota in 1961 and a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1964. From 1964 to 1972 she held a variety of positions, including field attorney with the National Labor Relations Board, professor