Mary Florence Lathrop

In her 85 years, Mary Florence Lathrop enjoyed two successful careers and many significant “firsts,” initially as a newspaper and magazine reporter, then as a lawyer. As a journalist, Lathrop traveled to China after a commendation for her coverage of the Chinese laborer attacks in San Francisco. Moving to Denver to help recover from pneumonia, she graduated from the University of Denver Law School, was the first woman to open a law practice in Denver, was the first female member of the Colorado Bar Association, and forged ahead in a male-dominated profession. Lathrop was one of the two first female members of the American Bar Association and the first woman to try a case before the Colorado Supreme Court. She received an honorary doctorate in law from the University of Denver.