(SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY) When Maureen Skidmore was a teenager, she wanted to become a missionary. Skidmore knew her dreams would require an education but was concerned about finances and the rarity of attending college at the time.

“Women of the day were mostly relegated to domestic duties and rarely attended college,” Skidmore said. “Even if women did go to college, they seldom used their degrees nor were they encouraged to. The emphasis for women was to find a man and build a family.”

Skidmore said she married one year after her high school graduation and worked for a time, helping to support her family and three children. During the mid-1960s, Skidmore said women began fighting for equal treatment in the workplace and opportunities for education.

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