# Colorado Women's Hall of Fame

The Colorado Women's Hall of Fame is a non-profit, volunteer organization that recognizes women who have contributed to the history of the U.S. state of Colorado. As of 2024, 205 women have been inducted.

## History

There was a short-lived recognition program established in Colorado in 1965 to honor the contributions of women to the state, known as the Colorado Women of Achievement awards. Each year, three honorees from throughout the state who had distinguished themselves in their profession or avocation were recognized at an annual banquet held in Denver, given a cash award, and received a pin with the emblem of the program, which was sponsored by the Columbia Savings and Loan Association. The 1965 inductees, honored in 1966, included Verona Burkhard, Jo Eleanor Elliott and Sister Frances Marie Walsh. In 1967 the inductees for the 1966 award were Sabina O’Malley, Elizabeth McAulliffe Calabrese, and Genevieve Fiore. In 1968, the honorees for 1967 were recognized. They included Rena Mary Taylor, Marion M. Maresh, Mrs. E. Ray Campbell. Two Life Award recipients, honoring a life-long commitment of service, were given to Mary M. McDonald and Ella Matty Orman. 1968 inductees, recognized in 1969 were Anna M. Garnett, Betty Pellet, and Margaret Rossi, with Ruby Lewis Neal being recognized with the Life Award.
Almost two decades later, a new recognition program began. The Hall of Fame organization was founded and incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1984 to recognize women's contributions to the territory and state of Colorado and to provide role-models for young girls and women. Serving on the board also offers leadership opportunities for women. Discussed conceptually in February 1984, it was organized by June of the same year. M.L. Hanson sat as the president on the board until 1997.

## Criteria

The criteria for induction into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame is that women have "significant ties to Colorado and during their lifetimes:
* Made significant and enduring contributions to their fields of endeavor
* Elevated the status of women
* Helped open new frontiers for women and for society in general
* Inspired others by their example"

## Inductees

Up to 10 inductees are admitted to the Hall of Fame every evenly numbered year.
Colorado Women's Hall of Fame :
| Name | Birth–Death | Year | Area of achievement |
| Judith E. N. Albino | (b. 1943) | 2024 | 17th president of the University of Colorado System |
| Madeleine Albright | (1937–2022) | 2010 | First woman to become the United States Secretary of State |
| Anna Lee Aldred | (1921–2006) | 2004 | First woman in the United States to receive a jockey's license |
| Stephanie Allen | (1937–2022) | 2006 | Founder of the Colorado Women's Coalition; founded Women's Vision Foundation to develop leadership skills among women; first woman recipient of the Dan Ritchie Award for Ethics in Business; Businesswoman, women's advocate, and civic leader; |
| Linda G. Alvarado | (b. 1952) | 2002 | President and CEO of Alvarado Construction |
| Theodosia Grace Ammons | (1861–1907) | 2022 | Powerful first wave feminist, suffragist and advocate for women's education |
| Mary Lou Anderson | (1917–1994) | 2020 | Cultural arts and arts education |
| Susan Anderson | (1870–1960) | 1997 | Frontier doctor |
| Sue Anschutz-Rodgers | (b. 1936) | 2008 | Cattle rancher, philanthropist |
| Kristi S. Anseth | (b. 1969) | 2012 | Tisone Professor and associate professor of surgery at the University of Colorado at Boulder |
| Eppie Archuleta | (1922–2014) | 1997 | Folk artist |
| Katherine Archuleta | (b. 1949) | 2020 | First Latina Director of the United States Office of Personnel Management |
| Lena Lovato Archuleta | (1920–2011) | 1985 | Colorado educator, first Latina principal in the Denver Public Schools |
| Christine Arguello | (b. 1955) | 2014 | Federal judge on the United States District Court for the District of Colorado and is a former Colorado state official |
| Alida Cornelia Avery | (1833–1908) | 2020 | Physiclan, college professor, first president of the Colorado Woman Suffrage Association |
| Polly Baca | (b. 1941) | 2000 | First woman to chair the Democratic Caucus of the Colorado House of Representatives (1976–79) and the first Latina elected to the Colorado State Senate |
| Morley Cowles Ballantine | (1925–2009) | 2014 | Newspaper publisher, philanthropist |
| Caroline Bancroft | (1900–1985) | 1990 | Journalist, former Ziegfeld Follies performer |
| Ceal Barry | (b. 1955) | 1997 | Women's basketball coach |
| Christine Benero | (b. 1960) | 2024 | President and CEO of Mile High United Way |
| Isabella Bird | (1831–1904) | 1985 | Explorer, writer, and natural historian |
| Joan Birkland | (1928–2019) | 1996 | Athlete and organizer |
| Helen Marie Black | (1896–1988) | 1991 | Founder of the Denver Symphony Orchestra |
| Mae Boettcher | (1912–2001) | 2018 | Philanthropist who supported cultural and healthcare facilities |
| Helen Bonfils | (1889–1972) | 1985 | Arts patron, philanthropist, managed the Denver Post |
| Janet Bonnema | (1938–2008) | 2012 | Transportation engineer for the Colorado Highway Department; won a 1972 sexual discrimination lawsuit against the Colorado Department of Highways when she was barred from working inside the Eisenhower Tunnel. |
| Juana Bordas | (b. 1942) | 1997 | President of the National Hispana Leadership Institute, Peace Corps volunteer and advocate for women |
| Libby Bortz | (b. 1934) | 2022 | Community activist in housing, education and criminal justice |
| Elise M. Boulding | (1920–2010) | 1996 | Quaker sociologist and major contributor to creating the academic discipline of Peace and Conflict Studies |
| Louie Croft Boyd | (1871–1951) | 2004 | Helped found the Colorado State Trained Nurses Association |
| Antonia Brico | (1902–1989) | 1986 | Conductor and pianist |
| Barbara Bridges | | 2024 | Founder of Women+Film |
| Guadalupe Briseño | (1933–2024) | 2020 | Chicana leader in Colorado’s Labor Movement |
| Clara Brown | (1800–1885) | 1989 | Aided the settlement of former slaves during Colorado's Gold Rush |
| Molly Brown | (1867–1932) | 1985 | Socialite, philanthropist, and activist who became famous due to her survival of the 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic |
| Joy S. Burns | (1927–2020) | 2000 | President of the Burnsley Hotel in Denver |
| Frances Xavier Cabrini | (1850–1917) | 2022 | Champion of immigrants, the poor and the sick |
| Hendrika B. Cantwell | (b. 1925) | 1990 | Advocate for neglected and abused children |
| Lauren Young Casteel | (b. 1953) | 2014 | First black woman to head a foundation in Colorado |
| Merle Chambers | (b. 1946) | 2004 | Philanthropist, businesswoman, and lawyer |
| Mary Coyle Chase | (1906–1981) | 1985 | Journalist, playwright and screenwriter, known primarily for writing the Broadway play Harvey |
| Chipeta | (1843/4–1924) | 1985 | Second wife of Chief Ouray of the Uncompahgre Ute tribe, she led her people after his death in 1880. Chipeta used diplomacy to try to achieve peace with the white immigrants to Colorado and often represented the Utes as a delegate to lobby the US Congress |
| Caroline Nichols Churchill | (1833–1926) | 1988 | Feminist writer |
| Judy Collins | (b. 1939) | 2006 | Singer-songwriter |
| Fran Coleman | (b. 1945) | 2024 | First Latina Colorado State Representative in House District 1 |
| Gail Benjamin Colvin | (b. 1955) | 2024 | Director of Staff at the United States Air Force Academy |
| Vicki Jane Cowart | (b. 1954) | 2022 | Champion for women scientists and dedicated crusader for women's reproductive rights |
| Oleta Crain | (1913–2007) | 1988 | Major in the U.S. Army, regional administrator of the Women's Bureau for the U.S. Department of Labor |
| Dana Hudkins Crawford | (1931-2025) | 1996 | Historic preservationist and developer |
| Alicia Cuarón | (b. 1939) | 2008 | Mexican-American educator, human rights activist, and prominent Latina leader who became a Franciscan nun after a successful business career |
| Margaret L. Curry | (1898–1986) | 1996 | Parole officer and advocate for women prisoners |
| Evie Dennis | (b. 1924) | 2008 | Education and athletics advocate; Sportswomen of Colorado Hall of Fame 1997; Laureate of the Association of National Olympic Committees 1999; United States Track and Field Hall of Fame 2004 |
| Ruth Cousins Denny | (1920–2012) | 2022 | Educator and human rights activist |
| Marion Downs | (1914–2014) | 2006 | Audiologist and professor at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center who pioneered universal newborn hearing screening |
| Jean Dubofsky | (b. 1942) | 2008 | First woman to become a Colorado Supreme Court Justice, former Deputy Attorney General for Colorado |
| Fannie Mae Duncan | (1918–2005) | 2012 | Owner of The Cotton Club bar in Colorado Springs |
| Mamie Eisenhower | (1896–1979) | 1985 | Wife of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and First Lady of the United States from 1953 to 1961 |
| Elizabeth Piper Ensley | (1847–1919) | 2020 | African American educator, political activist, and suffragist |
| Clarissa Pinkola Estés | (b. 1943) | 2006 | American poet, post-trauma specialist and Jungian psychoanalyst |
| Anne Evans | (1871–1941) | 2016 | American arts activist who devoted her life to the founding and support of some of Colorado's largest cultural institutions, including the Denver Art Museum, the Central City Opera, and the Denver Civic Center |
| Edwina Hume Fallis | (1876–1957) | 1989 | Author |
| Terri H. Finkel | (b. 1953) | 1996 | Researcher into auto-immunity, AIDS, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and cancer |
| Genevieve Fiore | (1912–2002) | 1991 | Humanitarian and peace activist |
| Justina Ford | (1871–1952) | 1985 | Denver's first black woman physician |
| Loretta Ford | (1920-2025) | 2012 | Dean of the University of Rochester School of Nursing (1972–1985), co-founded the nurse-practitioner model at the University of Colorado in 1965 |
| Leslie Foster | (b. 1957) | 2018 | Community activism |
| Linda Fowler | (b. 1945) | 2024 | Planned Parenthood advocate; founder of the Colorado Legal Initiatives Project |
| Virginia Fraser | (1928–2011) | 2002 | Advocate for women's rights and the elderly |
| Patricia A. Gabow | (b. 1944) | 2004 | CEO of Denver Health and Hospital Authority |
| Erinea Garcia Gallegos | (1903–2002) | 2012 | Educator and San Luis Valley postmistress |
| Gudy Gaskill | (1927–2016) | 2002 | Outdoorswoman and organizer of the Colorado Trail |
| Elnora M. Gilfoyle | (b. 1934) | 1996 | Occupational therapist and advocate for those with disabilities |
| Laura Gilpin | (1891–1979) | 2012 | Photographer known for her portraits of Native Americans, particularly the Navajo and Pueblo, and her Southwestern landscapes |
| Miriam Goldberg | (1916–2017) | 1987 | Publisher of the Intermountain Jewish News |
| Carolína González | (1894–1996) | 2020 | Supporter of the arts and culture; provided a safe haven for economic and political refugees in Denver. |
| Temple Grandin | (b. 1947) | 2012 | Doctor of animal science and professor at Colorado State University, bestselling author, and consultant to the livestock industry on animal behavior |
| Elinor Miller Greenberg | (1932–2021) | 2010 | Adult educator and author |
| Emily Griffith | (1868–1947) | 1985 | Pioneer of adult education, founder of the Emily Griffith Opportunity School |
| Geraldine Grimes | (1950–2022) | 2018 | Community Service |
| Barbara Grogan | (b. 1947) | 2024 | Businesswoman, founder of Western Industrial Contractors Inc, an industrial construction company |
| Maria Guajardo | (b. 1959) | 2010 | Executive director of the Latin American Research and Service Agency |
| Dusti Gurule | (b. 1969) | 2024 | Latina reproductive rights activist. Founding executive director of the Latina Initiative; President and CEO of the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights |
| Penny Rafferty Hamilton | (b. 1948) | 2014 | Pilot, educator, co-holder of World Aviation Speed Record, set October 22, 1991 |
| Zipporah Parks Hammond | (1924–2011) | 2022 | Dedicated medical professional; the first Black to earn a nursing degree from the University of Colorado |
| Margaret "Meg" Hansson | (1922–2016) | 2024 | Entrepreneur, Gerry Baby Products Company |
| Minnie Harding | (1857–1937) | 2016 | Philanthropist and charter member of the Colorado Federation of Women's Clubs. |
| Rosalind Juanita Harris | (b. 1950) | 2020 | Founder of the Denver Urban Spectrum newspaper and the Urban Spectrum Youth Foundation |
| Anna Jo Garcia Haynes | (b. 1934) | 2016 | Civil rights activist who brought the national Head Start Program to Denver; president emeritus, Mile High Montessori Early Learning Centers |
| Josie Heath | (b. 1937) | 2000 | President of the Community Foundation serving Boulder County; Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in 1990 and 1992; community activist and educator |
| Susan Helms | (b. 1958) | 2018 | NASA Astronaut aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour |
| Sumiko Hennessy | (b. 1937) | 1989 | Founding board member and executive director of the Asian Pacific Development Center in Denver |
| Laura Hershey | (1962–2010) | 2016 | Author, activist and advocate for the disabled community. |
| Gloria J. Higgins | (b. 1950) | 2024 | Entrepreneur and advocate for early childhood education |
| Arlene Hirschfeld | (b. 1944) | 2006 | Community leader, philanthropist, and activist |
| Elizabeth Hoffman | (b. 1946) | 2024 | 20th president of the University of Colorado System |
| Elsa Holguín | | 2024 | President and CEO of the Denver Preschool Program |
| Julia Archibald Holmes | (1838–1887) | 2014 | First woman to climb Pikes Peak |
| Dorothy Horrell | (b. 1951) | 2018 | Chancellor of CU Denver |
| Velveta Golightly-Howell | (b. 1957) | 2020 | Colorado Deputy District Attorney |
| Ding-Wen Hsu | (b. 1948) | 2012 | Co-founder and majority shareholder of Pacific Western Technologies |
| Swanee Hunt | (b. 1950) | 1997 | Founding director of the Women and Public Policy Program (WAPPP) at the Kennedy School, and former United States Ambassador to Austria |
| Elizabeth Wright Ingraham | (1922–2013) | 2014 | Architect |
| Helen Hunt Jackson | (1830–1885) | 1985 | Writer who became an activist on behalf of improved treatment of Native Americans by the U.S. government |
| Frances Wisebart Jacobs | (1843–1892) | 1987 | School teacher and philanthropist who founded the United Way and National Jewish Hospital |
| Susanne E. Jalbert | (b. 1951) | 2022 | Veteran global activist using economic development to create equitable and safe lives for women in more than 50 countries |
| Kristina Johnson | (b. 1957) | 2014 | Optoelectronic processing systems, 3D imaging, and color management systems |
| Jean Jones | (b. 1942) | 2006 | President and CEO of Girl Scouts – Mile Hi Council |
| Jo Ann Cram Joselyn | (b. 1943) | 2002 | First woman and first American to serve as secretary general for the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics |
| Lula Lubchenco Josephson | (1915–2001) | 2024 | Pioneering pediatrician |
| Katherine Keating | (1922–2009) | 2008 | First woman in the United States Navy to rise from seaman recruit to captain |
| Mary Ann Kerwin | (b. 1931) | 2012 | Co-founder of La Leche League International; women's health advocate |
| Arlene Vigil Kramer | (b. 1938) | 2016 | Educator and pioneer of bilingual education |
| Mary Krugman | (1943–2023) | 2024 | Nursing leader |
| Dottie Lamm | (b. 1937) | 1985 | Former First Lady of Colorado, ran for the U. S. Senate against Ben Nighthorse Campbell |
| Carlotta LaNier | (b. 1942) | 2004 | The youngest of the Little Rock Nine, a group of African-American students who, in 1957, were the first black students ever to attend classes at Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Now a Colorado real estate broker |
| Mary Florence Lathrop | (1865–1951) | 1987 | Journalist and lawyer; first woman to try a case before the Colorado Supreme Court |
| J. Virginia Lincoln | (1915–2003) | 2000 | Director of the World Data Center A for Solar-Terrestrial Physics |
| Mary Elitch Long | (1856–1936) | 1996 | Businesswoman and one of the original owners of Elitch Gardens |
| Fannie Lorber | (1881–1958) | 2006 | Founder of the Denver Sheltering Home |
| Carolyn Love | (b. 1950) | 2024 | Educator and non-profit leader; owner of Kebaya Consulting and Coaching |
| Joanne Maguire | (b. 1954) | 2014 | Aerospace engineer |
| Mary Lou Makepeace | (b. 1940) | 2008 | Colorado Springs' first female mayor |
| Portia Mansfield | (1887–1979) | 2004 | Along with Charlotte Perry, co-founder of the Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School & Camp |
| Philippa Marrack | (b. 1945) | 2010 | Biologist known for her research into T cell development, T cell apoptosis and survival, adjuvants, autoimmune disease, and for identifying superantigens, the mechanism behind toxic shock syndrome. |
| Ramona Martinez | (b. 1943) | 2010 | Businesswoman and former president of the Denver City Council; member of the Democratic National Committee since the 1990s |
| Fay Matsukage | (b. 1955) | 2018 | Corporate and securities lawyer |
| Martha Maxwell | (1831–1881) | 1985 | Self-educated naturalist and artist who helped found modern taxidermy |
| Frances McConnell-Mills | (1899–1974) | 1996 | Denver's first city toxicologist and perhaps the first female forensic pathologist in the United States |
| Hattie McDaniel | (1895–1952) | 2010 | American actress and first African-American to win an Academy Award for her role in Gone with the Wind |
| Golda Meir | (1898–1978) | 1985 | Teacher, kibbutznik and politician who became the fourth Prime Minister of Israel |
| Ellis Meredith | (1865–1955) | 2018 | Accomplished journalist who led Colorado's suffrage movement |
| Mary Miller | (1842–1921) | 2002 | Founded the city of Lafayette, Colorado |
| Sue Miller | (1934–2017) | 2002 | Fashion model and breast cancer survivor who founded the Sue Miller Day of Caring |
| Mary J. Mullarkey | (1943–2021) | 2012 | Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice |
| Reynelda Muse | (b. 1946) | 1997 | First woman and first African-American to anchor a newscast in Colorado |
| Carol Mutter | (b. 1945) | 2004 | First woman in the United States Armed Forces (USMC) to be promoted to both major general and lieutenant general |
| Marianne Neifert | (b. 1948) | 2020 | Physician, breast feeding expert |
| Lily Nie | (b. 1963) | 2008 | Founder of Chinese Children Adoption International, Chinese Children Charity Fund, and the Joyous Chinese Cultural School |
| Rachel Bassette Noel | (1918–2008) | 1996 | African American educator, politician and civil rights leader; namesake of Rachel B. Noel Middle School |
| Gale Norton | (b. 1954) | 2020 | United States Secretary of the Interior, Attorney General of Colorado |
| Susan O'Brien | (1939–2003) | 2010 | First female television news director in Denver |
| Katharine Stegner Odum | (1905–2005) | 2022 | Champion for the students at the Amache Japanese-American "relocation" camp during World War II |
| B. LaRae Orullian | (b. 1933) | 1988 | Founding president and chief executive officer of the Women's Bank in Denver |
| Owl Woman | (1828–1847) | 1985 | Cheyenne princess who managed relations between Native American tribes and Anglo American men |
| Elizabeth Pellet | (1887–1976) | 2016 | First woman minority leader in Colorado State Legislature. |
| Lydia Peña | (b. 1934) | 2016 | Catholic nun, educator and author who champions education for girls in Afghanistan and Ghana; founding member of the Rose Community Foundation |
| Julie Villiers Lewis McMillan Penrose | (1870–1956) | 2022 | Philanthropist and Patron of the Arts |
| Charlotte Perry | (1889–1983) | 2004 | Along with Portia Mansfield, co-founder of the Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School & Camp |
| Antoinette Perry-Frueauff | (1888–1946) | 2004 | Actress and director |
| Helen White Peterson | (1915–2000) | 1986 | First Native American woman director of the National Congress of American Indians |
| Anna Petteys | (1892–1970) | 2008 | First woman to be elected to the Colorado Board of Education |
| Sarah Platt-Decker | (1855–1912) | 1990 | Suffragette and advocate for women's rights |
| Doreen Pollack | (1921–2005) | 2018 | Developed protocol to teach deaf children to listen and talk |
| Lydia Prado | (b. 1960) | 2022 | Mental health care advocate |
| Amache Prowers | (1846–1905) | 2018 | Cultural mediator who bridged Native American and Western cultures |
| Agnes Ludwig Riddle | (1865–1930) | 2022 | Groundbreaking politician, farmers' advocate, human rights advocate |
| Jane Silverstein Ries | (1909–2005) | 1990 | First female landscape architect in Denver |
| Mary Rippon | (1850–1935) | 1985 | One of the first women to become faculty at a university; taught at the University of Colorado in Boulder |
| Patricia Barela Rivera | (b. 1947) | 2022 | Advocate for women through the promotion of public policy changes |
| Cleo Parker Robinson | (b. 1948) | 1989 | Choreographer and artistic director of the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble |
| Helen Ring Robinson | (1878–1923) | 2014 | Journalist, suffragist, and the first woman elected to the Colorado State Senate |
| Pauline Short Robinson | (1915–1997) | 2000 | First African-American librarian in Denver |
| Josephine Roche | (1886–1976) | 1986 | Humanitarian, industrialist, activist, and politician |
| Sandra I. Rothenberg | (b. 1943) | 2016 | Appellate court judge and sex discrimination litigation pioneer |
| Eliza Routt | (1839–1907) | 2008 | Suffragist and Colorado's first First Lady alongside John Routt |
| Florence Sabin | (1871–1953) | 1985 | Medical scientist. She was a pioneer for women in science; she was the first woman to hold a full professorship at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, the first woman elected to the National Academy of Sciences, and the first woman to head a department at the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research. In her retirement years, she pursued a second career as a public health activist in Colorado, and in 1951 received a Lasker Award for this work. |
| Minnie Josephine Reynolds Scalabrino | (1865–1930) | 2022 | Journalist who advocated for women's suffrage |
| Hazel Schmoll | (1890–1990) | 1985 | Colorado botanist who conducted the first systematic study of plant life in Southwestern Colorado |
| Gail Schoettler | (b. 1943) | 2018 | 44th Lieutenant Governor of Colorado |
| Pat Schroeder | (1940–2023) | 1985 | Democratic politician who represented Colorado in the United States House of Representatives from 1973 to 1997 |
| Bartley Marie Scott | (1896–2023) | 2010 | Rancher and conservationist |
| Shari Shink | (b. 1948) | 2016 | Attorney, advocate for abused and neglected children. Founded the Rocky Mountain Children's Law Center |
| Mary G. Slocum | (1851–1933) | 2022 | Champion of post-secondary education for women |
| Eudochia Bell Smith | (1887–1977) | 1986 | Newspaper editor, Colorado legislator, and registrar of Denver's US District Land Office |
| Susan Solomon | (b. 1956) | 2006 | Atmospheric chemist working for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
| Caroline Spencer | (1861–1928) | 2006 | Suffragist and physician |
| Vivien Spitz | (1924–2014) | 2006 | Court reporter at the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials |
| Agnes Wright Spring | (1894–1988) | 2022 | Author, librarian, and trailblazing historian for women and western history |
| Jacqueline St. Joan | (b. 1945) | 2024 | Attorney, judge, law professor, child advocate and writer |
| May Bonfils Stanton | (1883–1962) | 1985 | Philanthropist |
| Anne Steinbeck | (b. 1929) | 1985 | First Colorado woman to serve as president of the National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs |
| Ruth Stockton | (1916–1990) | 1985 | Legislator; first woman president pro-tem of the Colorado State Senate |
| Elizabeth Hickok Robbins Stone | (1801–1895) | 1988 | Ran the first hotel in the Fort Collins area, serving Overland Trail travelers. She financed and initiated businesses to support the growth in and around the area. |
| Augusta Tabor | (1833–1905) | 1991 | Entrepreneur, first wife of silver king Horace Tabor |
| Baby Doe Tabor | (1854–1935) | 1985 | Second wife of Colorado businessman Horace Tabor and inspiration for the opera The Ballad of Baby Doe |
| Gloria Tanner | (1935–2022) | 2002 | First African American woman to serve in the Colorado State Senate |
| Alice Bemis Taylor | (1877–1942) | 2010 | Philanthropist |
| Arie Parks Taylor | (1927–2003) | 2004 | Public servant and community leader |
| Jill S. Tietjen | (b. 1954) | 2010 | Author, electrical engineer |
| Mary Luke Tobin | (1908–2006) | 1997 | American Roman Catholic Religious Sister |
| Olibama Lopez Tushar | (1906–2004) | 2022 | Author and historian of Hispanic culture |
| Martha Urioste | (1937–2022) | 2000 | Montessori educator |
| Marilyn Van Derbur | (b. 1937) | 1996 | 1958 Miss America pageant holder and founder of the American Coalition for Abuse Awareness and One Voice |
| Judith Wagner | (b. 1943) | 2016 | Co-founder of both the Colorado Women's Foundation and the Women's Bank |
| Lenore E. Walker | (b. 1942) | 1987 | Founder of the Domestic Violence Institute |
| Diana Wall | (1943–2024) | 2014 | Soil invertebrate diversity expert |
| Mildred Pitts Walter | (b. 1922) | 1996 | Author, activist, educator, and women's advocate |
| Emily Howell Warner | (1939–2020) | 2002 | First woman hired as a pilot by a major U.S. airline |
| Wilma Webb | (b. 1944) | 1991 | Member of the Colorado State Legislature from 1980 to 1993; the first First Lady of Denver to have held political office herself |
| Zita Weinshienk | (1933–2022) | 2000 | United States federal judge |
| Elizabeth Georgiana Barratt Wells | (1854–1921) | 2022 | Advocate for the welfare of mothers and children |
| Rhea Woltman | (1927–2021) | 2008 | Pilot and one of the First Lady Astronaut Trainees for the Mercury project |
| Hannah Marie Wormington | (1914–1994) | 1985 | Archaeologist and author; first woman to obtain a doctorate in anthropology at Harvard and the first archaeologist and first woman to receive a Guggenheim Foundation fellowship |
| Jean Yancey | (1914–2000) | 1985 | Women's small business consultant and motivational speaker |
| Mildred Didrikson Zaharias | (1911–1956) | 2008 | Athlete who achieved outstanding success in golf, basketball, and track and field. She was named the 10th Greatest North American Athlete of the 20th Century by ESPN, and the 9th Greatest Athlete of the 20th Century by the Associated Press. |