Ruth Stockton

Although active in Denver area volunteer, humanitarian, and cultural activities for many years, Ruth Stockton waited until her daughter left for college to run for political office and became a powerful legislator and a champion for low-income and less fortunate people. She served 23 years in the Colorado General Assembly, four of those years as the first woman president pro tem of the Senate. She chaired the Senate’s Health, Environment, Welfare, and Institutions Committee for 10 years, was the first woman to serve on the Joint Budget Committee, and chaired the Appropriations Committee. A moderate Republican, Stockton was known for her political skills and support of the Equal Rights Amendment, improvement in children’s health and education, and abortion rights for women.