Remembering Colorado icon Pat Schroeder

Why it matters: Schroeder, the first woman elected to Congress from Colorado, a 24-year lawmaker and a vocal advocate for women and families, is a big part of the reason it "doesn't happen now."

What to know: She died Monday night at a Florida hospital near her home after suffering a recent stroke. Schroeder was 82.

🗯 My thought bubble: Back in 2016, as Hillary Clinton ran for president, I talked to Schroeder at length about her career and modern politics. Looking at the conversation again, I find much of what she said still resonates.

• In a part of the interview that didn't make the final story, I asked her: All these years later, what does being the first congresswoman in Colorado mean to you?

What she said: "I was always very proud that the West was way ahead of the rest of the country in women's rights," she said.

The bottom line: Schroeder helped continue Colorado's legacy of equity — all because she never became a pilot.