Emily Griffith (1868-1947) was a Denver teacher who dreamed of opening a school that would be open to people of all ages. In May of 1916, the Denver Board of Education gave Griffith a condemned schoolbuilding in which to make her dream a reality. The Opportunity School opened on September 9th that year, and by 1954 was serving 10,000 students each year and had an alumni base of 400,000.
Mother Cabrini (1850-1917) was the first American citizen canonized (made a saint) by the Roman Catholic Church. She founded sixty-seven non-profit institutions dedicated to a variety of social projects throughout the Unites States and also abroad.
Mary Rippon (1850-1935) was the first female professor to teach at the University of Colorado, and she did so for over thirty years. Rippon's works have been long recognized by the university, which named an open-air theater after her. The female students at CU also worked for her nomination and acceptance into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame.
The Women's History Afternoon Tea partially benefits the Circle of Care project, an elderly enrichment program. Twenty-five senior citizens have been given complimentary seats to this event.
