Katherine Lee Bates

Katherine Lee Bates, author of "America the Beautiful," wrote the original version of the beloved anthem in 1895 during a stay in Colorado Springs. A brief trip to the 14,110 foot summit of Pike's Peak inspired her words, which were set to music two decades later. A native of Falmouth, MA., Bates was a noted author and had a long and distinguished career as a teacher and administrator at Wellesley College.

Colorado Springs, Colorado · United States