People

Emily Griffith (1868–1947) was a visionary educator in the field of adult, vocational, and alternative education. After working as a teacher and administrator in Denver , she started the Denver Opportunity School in 1916, premised on the idea that education should be accessible to everyone...

John R. Smith (1860–1927) was Colorado’s chief state prohibition officer during the years 1923–25. He successfully rooted out black-market alcohol crime but received harsh public criticism for his often-unconstitutional methods. He brought his friends on “booze” raids and did not shy away from...

Patricia “Pat” Stryker (1956–) is a Colorado-based businesswoman and philanthropist. With an estimated net worth of $2.6 billion, Stryker has donated more than $195 million to charity in her lifetime, mostly through the Bohemian Foundation , her Fort Collins –based nonprofit. In addition to charity...

Elizabeth Fraser Iliff Warren (1844–1920) was one of Denver ’s most influential early citizens and was instrumental in founding the Iliff School of Theology . After arriving in Denver in 1869 as a twenty-four-year-old sewing-machine saleswoman, she married wealthy cattleman John Wesley Iliff . When...

Matthew Carpenter (1964–) is a mountain runner best known for his performances at high-altitude races such as the Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon , where he set the course record in 1993, and the Leadville Trail 100 Run , where he set the record in 2005. In the 1990s, he traveled the world as a...

Mike Coffman (1955–) is a Colorado politician who is currently the mayor of Aurora , his childhood hometown. From 2009 to 2019, Coffman served in Congress, representing Colorado’s Sixth Congressional District , which includes Aurora. He also previously served as the state’s treasurer and secretary...

John Wright Hickenlooper II (1952– ) is a Colorado businessman and politician who served as mayor of Denver from 2003 to 2011 and forty-third governor of the state from 2011 to 2019. In 2020 Hickenlooper was elected to the US Senate. In 1988 he founded Wynkoop Brewing Company , Denver’s first...

Diana DeGette (1957– ) is a lawyer and politician who has represented Colorado’s First Congressional District —the city of Denver —in the US House of Representatives since 1997. A member of the Democratic Party , DeGette is known for her ardent support of reproductive and civil rights,...

Teenokuhu (ca. 1822–81), known to English speakers as “Friday” or “Friday Fitzpatrick,” was a nineteenth-century Northern Arapaho leader. As a boy, Teenokuhu (Arapaho for “sits meekly”) was separated from his band and adopted by Thomas Fitzpatrick, a white trapper who took him to St. Louis. After...