In 1978, in Denver, Colorado, eight women did something the system wasn’t designed for—they built their own.
Not long before, women in the U.S. couldn’t open a credit card or get a loan without a man’s signature. Financial independence wasn’t guaranteed—it was conditional.
But Carol Green, Judi Wagner, LaRae Orullian, Gail Schoettler, Wendy Davis, Joy Burns, Beverly Martinez, and Edna Mosely had had enough.
Each put in $1,000—not to open accounts, but to start a bank.
On July 14, 1978, The Women’s Bank opened its doors with a clear mission: to give women control over their own money. No more needing permission. No more being seen as financial risks just because they were single, divorced, or widowed.
The line to get in stretched around the block.
By the end of that day, more than $1 million had been deposited.
They didn’t wait for a seat at the table.
They built their own table—and invited every woman to take her rightful place.
Because of them, millions of women today don’t just hold bank accounts—they hold power.