Edith Renfrow Smith

Series

Edith Renfrow Smith

• 1914 - ? (Creation)

Quantity: Grey ½ size standing document box

Arrangement: Mostly chronological

Background Note:

Edith Renfrow Smith (b. 1914) was born in Grinnell, Iowa and is the second youngest of the six Renfrow siblings. She was raised in the community, attending Davis School through 6th grade and graduating from Grinnell High School in 1932. She became the first Black woman to graduate from Grinnell College in 1937. In 2019, Edith was awarded an honorary degree from Grinnell College in honor of her pioneering accomplishments. Two spaces on the Grinnell College campus are named for her, the Black Women’s Library in the Black Cultural Center and the Smith student art gallery. She is also the namesake of Renfrow Hall, opening Fall 2024.

Document Arrangement:

Folder #1: Edith Renfrow Smith during the 1930s

Photocopies from 1931 and 1932 Grinnell High School Yearbook with photographs of Edith

Census documents and wedding announcement

“Up From Slavery” article published in The Crisis, NAACP periodical August 1937

Folder #2: Grinnell Magazine Interview

The Grinnell Magazine Summer 2007 Issue: “A Woman Worth Knowing: Edith Renfrow Smith ’37.” Article and full interview transcript.

Smith Gallery naming ceremony in honor of Edith Renfrow Smith (Summer 2007) news feature

Luminary Award Recipient in the Chicago Senior Citizen Hall of Fame letter

Folder #3: Drake Community Library Interview in 2015

Prof. Dan Kaiser interview with Edith Renfrow Smith at Drake Community Library in October 2015. Emails, question list, and notes from Dan.

Newspaper articles from GHR about 2015 visit and interview and the Renfrow story

Edith Renfrow Smith Wikipedia article written by Monique Shore of Drake Community Library

Folder #4: SuperAger Study at Northwestern University

Edith Renfrow Smith joins the Northwestern University SuperAger Study. Articles about the study and her participation appear in Chicago Tribune and Today

Chicago Sun-Times article “Nobody’s Better Than You” profiling Edith on her 107th birthday

Chicago Sun-Times article “Today is not the last day” profiling Edith on her 108th birthday

Folder #5: Honorary Degree at Grinnell College Commencement in 2019

Edith Renfrow Smith Black Women’s Library opened in Black Cultural Center on Grinnell College Campus. Article in S&B and announcement on College website.

Edith Renfrow Smith receives honorary degree from Grinnell College at Commencement 2019. Commencement program and transcript of video.

All Things Grinnell Podcast transcript of interview with Edith Renfrow Smith

Folder #6: Smith Gallery Rededication in 2021

“The True Grinnellian” pamphlet for the rededication ceremony of the Edith Renfrow Smith ’37 student art gallery. Written by Grinnell College student Faven Getachew ‘24

Grinnell Magazine Fall 2021 “When a Name becomes a person: My summer research with Edith Renfrow Smith” by Faven Getachew ‘24

GHR articles about Smith Art Gallery rededication and Edith’s 2021 visit to Grinnell

Website created to shared Edith story based on research by Feven Getachew ’24 and Prof. Tamara Beauboeuf-Lafontant. Webpages printed from edithrenfrowsmtih.sites.grinnell.edu

Folder #7: Renfrow Hall Naming Ceremony 2022

The Renfrow Story: Edith Renfrow Smith and her family’s deep roots in Grinnell, Iowa pamphlet created to share the Renfrow family story in honor of Renfrow Hall naming ceremony

Des Moines Register front page article “Grinnell names new building for pioneer: 108-year-old was first Black female graduate”

GHR article “Grinnell College’s new downtown building will be named Renfrow Hall”

Grinnell College announcement “Grinnell College Civic Engagement Quad Core to be Named After Beloved Grinnellian Edith Renfrow Smith ‘37”

Photographs from video of naming ceremony and social media posts

Folder #8: 2023 News articles and Interview

GHR three-part series of articles on the Renfrow story “Edith Renfrow Smith & her family’s deep roots in Poweshiek County”

NBC News article “She was an education pioneer. At 108, Edith Renfrow Smith shares her life lessons”d

Grinnell Magazine "New Residence Hall Naming Honors Edith Renfrow Smith"

Related documents:

Website: https://edithrenfrowsmith.sites.grinnell.edu/items/show/69

Photographs: http://tinyurl.com/EdithRenfrowSmith

Additional archival materials:

Records of the Renfrow Family Collection #279

Transcripts of interviews conducted in the 1980s by Grinnell College Student Stuart Yeager with Edith Renfrow Smith and sister Alice Renfrow. The transcripts are saved in Digital Archives>PEOPLE Renfrow Family>TheBlackExperienceAtGrinnell_RenfrowInterviews

“The Black Experience at Grinnell College Through Collected Oral History and Documents, 1863 – 1954” College paper by Stuart A. Yeager. Grinnell College, 1984. Copy available in Collection #293: African Americans of Early Grinnell

Prepared by V. Ruse 2 March 2023