Rose George figures she'll cry and pray Thursday night when she watches Hillary Clinton become the nation's first woman to accept a major political party's presidential nomination.

That's what George did eight years ago inside Denver's Mile High Stadium when Barack Obama delivered a soaring acceptance speech after becoming the first African American to earn a major party's nomination.

"Once there's a first, it can never happen again. It's history. These firsts were long overdue, but I never thought I'd see them in my lifetime," said George, 80, a black woman from Philadelphia's Francis­ville neighborhood.

Clinton's nomination is a landmark moment in American history and should be appreciated by people regardless of their gender or politics, said G. Terry Madonna, a political science professor at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster.

"Celebrating this very important moment doesn't mean you're committed to voting for (Clinton). I think it's appropriate to be glad that a barrier is being broken," Madonna said.

"Is there still sexism in America? Of course. But we are moving slowly and inexorably toward a different culture," Madonna said.

Barbara Bowman, 67, a Democratic delegate from Sumter, S.C., agreed that all Americans should "be respectful of this historic moment," but she said Democrats should not forget that Clinton is locked in a battle for the White House.

"We as Democrats need to make an argument outside of electing her president just for history's sake or because of her gender — because she is so much more than that," Bowman said.

"Glass ceilings are wonderful things to break, but outside of that imagery, we need to draw in voters who are not Democrats by explaining what her values, her experience and what she will do for the country," Bowman said.

Susan Smith, a former Bethel Park resident who lives on Pawleys Island, S.C., said she is "about doing what I can to get her elected ... that is the only history I want to fully embrace."

Smith, who serves as president of the South Carolina Women's Council, added, "She is tough and able to withstand the scrutiny of this election, and contains all of the strong qualities you want in being able to lead a country."

Maine Attorney General Janet Mills, who became her state's first female attorney general in 2009, said Clinton's nomination sends a "powerful statement in favor of the status of women. Some progressives might talk about us not going far enough, but we're taking a giant leap forward. Hillary Clinton's nomination is more than symbolic. It has huge meaning for me, for my daughters and for women across America."

Lenora Sorola-Pohlman, a Clinton delegate from Houston, said Clinton is the most qualified candidate given her intellect and experience as a former U.S. senator and secretary of State. Clinton naturally brings a different perspective than a man who held those positions would.

"Who else but a woman could truly understand everything a woman goes through?" said Sorola-Pohlman, 62.

Beth Verterano of New Wilmington, Lawrence County, said she feels a connection to Clinton given her own groundbreaking career in local and county politics.

In 1980, Verterano became the first woman to serve on New Castle's city council. Eight years later, she became the first woman to serve on the Lawrence County Board of Commissioners. She remains the only woman to have held the latter position.

"Gender wasn't why I ran. I didn't even think about it. I just wanted to make a difference, and I viewed it as public service," said Verterano, 74, a former delegate who attended this year's Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia because of its historical significance.

Verterano said Clinton's nomination is particularly meaningful for "all of the women who were jailed trying to get women the right to vote, women who died before women earned the right to vote, women like me who suffered discrimination in the workforce, and today's young women."

Tom Fontaine and Salena Zito are Tribune-Review staff writers. Reach Fontaine at tfontaine@tribweb.com or Zito at szito@tribweb.com.

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