Lulu Buffington was elected as the superintendent of Summit County, Colorado Schools in 1899, becoming the first woman to hold this position. In 2025, we honor her historic achievement. She was re-elected in 1901, and according to the Summit County Journal on January 13, 1900, she earned an annual salary of $2,000 for her work.
Lulu was born on May 6, 1875, in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, to Resin and Mary A. Buffington. According to the 1880 census, the family resided in Trenton, Iowa. While the exact date of their move to Colorado is unknown, Lulu was mentioned in the Summit County Journal in 1887.
Ms. Buffington attended the State Normal School in Greeley, Colorado, graduating in 1897. These institutions, established in many states, served as teacher training colleges. Today, the State Normal School is known as the University of Northern Colorado.
After graduation, Miss Buffington became a teacher in Breckenridge where the Summit County Journal states, “she is very popular”. During this period, her mother, Mary, managed a hotel in Kokomo, where her sister, Edna also lived. Lulu visited Kokomo frequently. She was also a member of the ladies’ glee club in Breckenridge.
Lulu married James T. Hogan on May 14, 1902 in Leadville. James was listed in the newspapers as an “able and respected lawyer”, and a graduate of Wisconsin University. He and Lulu lived in Leadville according to the 1910 federal census.
By the 1930 census, they were recorded as residents of Dallas, Texas. James passed away in 1935, and Lulu later died on September 14, 1964, at age 89.
We honor Lulu as our 2025 Woman of Distinction: Then
