The Colorado Author’s Hall of Fame recently announced that its 2021 inductees will include Penny Rafferty Hamilton, Ph.D.
With over 30 years authoring articles and books, Ms. Rafferty Hamilton, of Granby, CO, reflects her passions for aviation, Western heritage, and women’s history in her writings and is the recipient of numerous aviation, education and business awards including the National Association of State Aviation Officials’ (NASAO) National Journalism Award.
Currently focusing on aviation and aerospace, she recently authored America’s Amazing Airports, Inspiring Words for Sky and Space Women, and 101 Trailblazing Women of Air and Space.
For more than 25 years, her “Penny the Pilot” program has been a cornerstone in many schools teaching preschoolers and elementary children about the history of women in aviation. For this contribution to aviation history and preservation, the FAA Central Region bestowed on Penny its Champion of Aviation Education Award and ABC-TV in Denver recognized her with its Everyday Hero award in 2009. Encouraging women to enter STEM fields is a high priority for her, to prepare future generations for the existing challenges ahead, and above.
Penny’s ground-breaking Teaching Women to Fly Research Project findings were published in the Proceedings of the Human Resource Development International and in the international textbook, Absent Aviators: Gender Issues in Aviation. She is honored to be a Laureate of both the Colorado Aviation and Women’s Halls of Fame.
The Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame honors and promotes the works of outstanding published authors from all genres and generations to ensure their legacies will not be lost.
The Hall strives to educate the people of Colorado and the country about the stories of the authors who shaped their works using their personal presence and the environment of our State with courage, leadership, intelligence, compassion, and creativity. Their talents, skills, struggles, and contributions form a legacy that the Author’s Hall of Fame is dedicated to protecting and celebrating.
