Farewell to Pat Schroeder

By Celine Erickson, AAFSW President

“I have a Brain and a Uterus and I use both”.

During this Women’s Month and beyond, AAFSW honors the legacy of Pat Schroeder and remembers her instrumental support to AAFSW. Pat Schroeder, a pioneer for women’s rights, and the first woman from Colorado to be elected to Congress, has died at the age of 82.

Pat Schroeder was instrumental in supporting AAFSW’s advocacy effort in protecting the welfare of divorced spouses by assuring them a prorated portion of the annuity if the divorcing spouses had served at least 10 years in the Foreign Service. Pat was instrumental in pushing through the pension sharing for divorced FS spouses in 1982. Pat and AAFSW worked effectively to get something done and the cooperation with the Hill was certainly a positive thing. 

Pat’s involvement with AAFSW will never be forgotten.

Please see the link below in AAFSW’s Timeline: Foreign Service Act of 1980 and Testifying before Congress – Timeline (aafsw.org)