It’s embarrassing to admit that prior to hearing about her interview in the Library of Congress, I hardly knew a thing about former Congresswoman Patricia Schroeder. My shame augmented after realizing we are both from Colorado and have connections with the University of Minnesota. I was in for a pleasant surprise last Wednesday, when I received the opportunity to learn about a truly fascinating political figure at an event hosted by the Library of Congress.

Her interview, conducted by Deputy Librarian of Congress Robert Dizard Jr. in the Jefferson Building, inspired and fascinated me along with the rest of the audience, judging by the volume of their applause. The worry that their discussion would bore me to tears dissipated almost immediately upon the realization that Patricia Schroeder’s sense of humor is on par with her intelligence. Dizard excelled at extracting entertaining anecdotes from Schroeder as well, kicking off the interview by asking her what initiated signing her name with a smiley face in the letter P. She recalled being one of many Patricia’s growing up, and instead of going by Patsy as one of her teachers suggested, she proposed the smiley face in the P method of distinction instead, and it forever remained with her.

He also called her out on a discrepancy between a story in her recent memoir and that of her husband, Jim Schroeder, regarding how they first met. According to Mrs. Schroeder, he approached her in the library of Harvard, where she attended Law School. Whereas he claims that she initiated their first conversation. However, the debate remains unsettled.

She also brought up the one-liners she used repeatedly when dealing with insensitive questions during her years as a politician. For example, when asked how she could be a congresswoman and a mother, she would answer that she had a “brain and a uterus that both worked.” I realize that she must feel like a broken record, but her clever remarks still drew hearty guffaws from the audience.

Of course, the humorous moments intertwined with serious issues and topics including Schroeder’s current concerns regarding family and women’s rights. She also touched on the struggles she encountered while getting involved in the male-dominated world of politics, especially at such a young age. She recalled the negative reactions of her two male seat neighbors in one of her first courses at Harvard, and the general sexism she encountered while studying there as one of merely 15 women in her class. When she first arrived in Washington, she frequently faced criticism by her fellow politicians as well as citizens who asked her if she even considered the negative impact her career surely had on her children.

Though the program ran a mere 45 minutes or so, it packed a punch, Schroeder and Dizard filling every second with pertinent information, concluding with a question and answer session. One of the inquiries from the audience was what Schroeder’s priorities would be if she were elected President. She listed the environment, the overpowering involvement of the United States in other countries’ affairs, family issues, and the massive pay difference between classes. By the end of her interview, I felt inspired and honored to shake hands with a woman who truly made a difference in her country.

Come back soon to read the details of my personal interview with Pat Schroeder

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Marisa Mostek (@MarisaJ44) loves globetrotting and writing, so she is living the dream by writing while living abroad in Japan and working as an English teacher. Marisa received her undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado in Boulder and a certificate in journalism from UCLA. Contact Marisa at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

Featured image courtesy of [Marisa Mostek]

Marisa Mostek

Marisa Mostek loves globetrotting and writing, so she is living the dream by writing while living abroad in Japan and working as an English teacher. Marisa received her undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado in Boulder and a certificate in journalism from UCLA. Contact Marisa at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

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