Pat Stryker

Patricia A. Stryker was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on April 6, 1956. Stryker enrolled at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, but did not complete a degree. In 1976, Stryker's father, Lee, died in an airplane accident in Wyoming. Four years later, in 1980, Stryker relocated to Fort Collins, Colorado, where she had attended summer camp as a child.

Stryker has funded the Bohemian Foundation which, in addition to national and international programs, funds music and other initiatives in Larimer County, Colorado, the Fort Collins, Colorado area,{{cite web|title=The Bohemian Foundation|url=http://www.bohemianfoundation.org|website=bohemianfoundation.org|accessdate=October 11, 2015}} notably the annual Bohemian Nights at New West Fest.{{Cite news|url=http://www.timescall.com/entertainment/ci_30176746/new-west-fest-boasts-all-colorado-lineup-and|title=New West Fest boasts all Colorado lineup and band reunion|last=Vendegna|first=Michelle|date=2017-07-29|work=Longmont Times-Call|access-date=2018-10-07}} She has also donated a substantial amount to Colorado State University, which is located in Fort Collins.

In 2006, Stryker gave $500,000 to the Coalition for Progress, a political action committee that donated heavily to support Democratic party candidates in Michigan elections.{{cite web|url=http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=17861&keywords=overturn|title=Jon Stryker Strikes Again in Michigan - Human Events|author=|date=|website=humanevents.com|accessdate=12 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217192136/http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=17861&keywords=overturn|archive-date=17 February 2012|url-status=dead}}

In 2008, Stryker gave $87,500 to the Presidential Inaugural Committee for President-Elect Barack Obama.{{cite web|url=http://www.pic2009.org/page/content/bundlers/|title=The Inauguration of President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden - Inaugural Committee Bundlers|date=20 February 2009|accessdate=12 March 2018|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090220013726/http://www.pic2009.org/page/content/bundlers/|archivedate=20 February 2009}}

Stryker donated $3 million to defeat a 2002 ballot initiative regarding bilingual education in Colorado.

Stryker donated $1.5 million to Priorities USA Action, a Super PAC supporting Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016.{{cite news |date=May 27, 2016 |title= The Top Donors Backing Hillary Clinton's Super PAC |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/ivonaiacob/2016/05/27/top-donors-hillary-clinton-superpac/#259f3ea42740 |newspaper=Forbes }} She was among the largest donors in the 2016 election.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/11/us/politics/wealthy-families-presidential-candidates.html|title=From Fracking to Finance, a Torrent of Campaign Cash|last1=Lichtblau|first1=Eric|date=2015-10-10|work=The New York Times|access-date=2017-05-19|last2=Confessore|first2=Nicholas|issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/10/12/pat-stryker-clinton-megadonor/73822486/|title=Pat Stryker is 'megadonor' to presidential race|work=USA TODAY|access-date=2017-05-19|language=en}}

Stryker, Jared Polis, Tim Gill, and Rutt Bridges are known in Colorado political circles as "The Four Horsemen" (aka "Gang of Four" or "The Four Millionaires") who have donated to liberal causes, fought against gerrymandering, and promoted progressive initiatives.{{cite news|author1=Stuart Steers|title=The Gang of Four|url=http://www.5280.com/magazine/2005/05/gang-four?page=full|work=5280 The Denver Magazine|date=May 2005|quote=In 2002 an initiative placed on the ballot by a group called English for the Children would have eliminated most bilingual programs in Colorado. Fearing the law would destroy her daughter's school, Stryker donated $3 million to the successful campaign to defeat the initiative. Her donation was widely credited with turning voters against it.|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151013001558/http://www.5280.com/magazine/2005/05/gang-four?page=full|archivedate=2015-10-13}}{{cite news|last=Healy|first=Rita|title=The Gay Mogul Changing U.S. Politics|url=http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1606679,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070408011207/http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1606679,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 8, 2007|accessdate=8 March 2013|newspaper=TIME|date=4 April 2007|quote=An hour south of Laramie, in Ft. Collins, lives medical equipment heiress Pat Stryker, who is, along with Gill, known in local political circles as one of 'The Four Millionaires.' (Actually Stryker is a billionaire; her brother Jon is gay and both give generously to gay causes.)}} Significant political contributions from the four to favored Democratic candidates has played a role in electing a Democratic majority in Colorado's house and senate.{{cite web|title=Denver Best Behind-the-Scenes Political Power Brokers - Jared Polis, Tim Gill, Rutt Bridges and Pat Stryker|url=http://www.westword.com/bestof/2005/award/best-behind-the-scenes-political-power-brokers-41327/|work=Best Of Denver|publisher=Westword|accessdate=8 March 2013|date=24 March 2005|quote=While Republicans made gains in most states across the country (especially the red ones), Democrats achieved majorities in both houses of the Colorado Legislature for the first time in forty years. It wouldn't have added up that way without this fearsome foursome.}}{{cite news|title=Democrats' Colorado Gold Rush Turns Into a Bust|url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/08/24/democrats_colorado_gold_rush_turns_into_a_bust_97995.html|accessdate=8 March 2013|newspaper=RealClearPolitics|date=24 August 2009|quote=In this decade, a group of liberal multimillionaires -- Tim Gill, Rutt Bridges, Jared Polis and Pat Stryker -- developed "the Colorado model," not only funding candidates, but setting up think tanks, advocacy groups and public relations operations designed to oust Republicans and install Democrats.}} Stryker has been frequently represented at political meetings by Al Yates, former president of Colorado State University.

According to New York Times reporter Matt Bai, Stryker attended the April 2005 meeting of the Democracy Alliance near Scottsdale, Arizona. Stryker along with George Soros and other Democracy Alliance members Gail Furman; Paul Rudd (co-founder of Adaptive Analytics); John R. Hunting; Nicholas Hanauer; ex-Clinton administration official Rob Stein; Drummond Pike; real estate developer Robert Bowditch; Pioneer Hybrid International-heir and congressional candidate Scott Wallace; Susie Tompkins Buell; real estate developer Albert Dwoskin; and Taco Bell-heir Rob McKay, funded the Secretary of State Project, an American non-profit organisation, 527 political action committee focused on electing reform-minded progressive Secretaries of State in battleground states, who typically oversee the election process.{{Cite web|first=Chuck |last=Neubauer |authorlink= |title= Soros and liberal groups seeking top election posts in battleground states |work=Washington Times|date= June 23, 2011 |url= https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jun/23/section-527-works-to-seat-liberals-as-election-ove/ |accessdate=}} The Alliance was critical in getting California Secretary of State Debra Bowen and Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie re-elected.

Stryker is divorced, with three children, and lives in Fort Collins, Colorado, US.{{cite web|title=Forbes profile: Pat Stryker|url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/pat-stryker/|website=Forbes|accessdate=29 September 2020}}

• [http://www.bohemianfoundation.org/ Bohemian Foundation]

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Category:1950s births

Category:Living people

Category:American billionaires

Category:Female billionaires

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Category:University of Northern Colorado alumni

Category:People from Kalamazoo, Michigan

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)