Grinnell College in Iowa has dedicated Renfrow Hall to Edith Renfrow Smith, the college’s first Black woman graduate. Renfrow Smith, who turned 110 in July, is also the college’s oldest living alum.
Renfrow Smith was born in 1914 in Grinnell, Iowa. She attended Grinnell High School, where she is now a member of the school’s Hall of Fame. After high school, she enrolled in Grinnell College, ultimately earning her bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1937. She went on to serve as an elementary teacher in Chicago until her retirement in 1976. Her legacy in education led to an induction to the Chicago Senior Citizens Hall of Fame in 2009. Ten years later, Grinnell College awarded her an honorary doctorate.
The newly established Renfrow Hall will serve as both a residence hall and a destination for Grinnell College to collaborate with the local community on civic engagement projects. The space will also be the home of the college’s Social Innovator in Residence program.
