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When The Women's Bank opened its doors in the Equitable Building on July 14, 1978, Denver banking history was forever changed — and a concept Carol Green and Bonnie Andrikopolous developed in November 1975 came to life.
Green and Andrikopolous formed The Women's Association on November 16, 1975, with the purpose of securing a national bank charter. In a circa-1976 brochure, the association explained the need for a bank catering to women:
As Women's Bank incorporator Judith "Judi" B. Wagner and former Bank President B. LaRae Orullian explained, women also faced challenges when it came to credit:
Although the Equal Credit Opportunity Act passed in 1974, most women did not know the law existed. Bankers frequently told women that they needed their fathers, husbands, brothers, grandfathers, uncles or some related male to co-sign for their loans. Getting their own credit was difficult.
By July 1977, through the hard work of many, The Women's Bank received preliminary approval for a national charter from the Comptroller of the Currency. Those who authored the application included Wendy W. Davis, Loretta Norgren, Leslie Friedman Davis, Betty Sue Freedman, Beverly A. (Martinez) Grall, Barbara Grall, Barbara Welch Sudler, Edna Mosley, Michael Feinstein, Carol Green, and Judith Foster.