Born in Grinnell, Iowa, Edith Renfrow Smith graduated from Grinnell College in 1937 and was the only Black student on campus during the 4.5 years that she attended the small, private liberal arts college. At 110 years old, she is the college’s first Black alumna and the oldest living graduate of the institution.
This week, Grinnell will dedicate and name its newest residence hall in honor of Renfrow Smith, recognizing her legacy, life, and commitment to community, education, and equity.
Mrs. Edith Renfrow SmithJustin Hayworth, Grinnell College
“The residence hall, which extends the campus into the town, was imagined to be a dual-purpose space where the Grinnell community could come together with campus members and work on things of shared interests on equal ground,” said Dr. Tamara Beauboeuf-Lafontant, who holds the Louise R. Noun '29 Chair in Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies at Grinnell and serves as the faculty lead of Team Renfrow.
Team Renfrow is the research and recognition group that spearheaded the naming and dedication campaign for Renfrow Smith and includes faculty, students, alumni, and townspeople committed to bringing visibility to Renfrow Smith and other African Americans who have called Grinnell home since 1854.
“We made the argument to say, ‘Who else but a person who was born and raised in the town of Grinnell, who has had a lifelong relationship with this space,” said Beauboeuf-Lafontant in an interview with Diverse. “She embodies the two Grinnells, and they've always been one Grinnell in her life and in her heart.”
