Global InformationEdith Renfrow Smith information
Edith Renfrow | |
|---|---|
 Edith Renfrow in her cap and gown the day she graduated from Grinnell College in 1937. | |
| Born | Edith Smith July 14, 1914 Grinnell, Iowa |
Edith Renfrow Smith (born July 14, 1914) is an American woman who was the first African American woman to graduate from Grinnell College, in Grinnell, Iowa.[1] The granddaughter of slaves,[2] Edith at age 108 was designated a "superager" in a study by Northwestern University for her remarkable memory and longevity. In 2019, at the age of 105, she was given an honorary degree from Grinnell College.[3] In 2022, Grinnell College announced it would name a new residence hall in her honor.[4] Renfrow Hall is scheduled to open in the fall of 2024. As of April 2023, Edith is still living in Chicago.
- ^ Descendant of Slave Girl and French Master Gets Degree, an article detailing Renfrow's family history written at the time of her graduation in 1937.
- ^ THE RENFROW STORY - Class 1 of 2 by MONIQUE SHORE 2023-04-12, retrieved 2023-04-20
- ^ "Edith Renfrow Smith '37, Doctor of Humane Letters | Grinnell College". www.grinnell.edu. Retrieved 2021-05-24.
- ^ "New Residence Hall Naming Honors Edith Renfrow Smith | Grinnell Magazine". magazine.grinnell.edu. Retrieved 2023-04-20.