Celebrating Smith’s 150th

In September of 1875, Smith College opened its doors to 14 students and six faculty members. Ever since then, we’ve been pushing the world forward in profound ways. Smith—and Smithies—have been a force for change, transforming our society, our history, and the lives and leadership of women. Smith’s impact on the greater good has been undeniable.

Read President Sarah’s letter to the community launching our sesquicentennial. 

Throughout 2025, we’ll celebrate Smith as a college of and for the world. Check back here often for new content, event listings, and timeline updates.

A Look Back at 150 Years

 

150 Years, 150 Stories

Smith College has an inspiring and complex story. Over the course of the year, we will collect 150 (or more!) stories of the people, places, ideas, and initiatives—some new, some taken from our archives—that provide a rich, nuanced portrait of Smith’s place in the world, its influence on culture, and the powerful ways it has evolved and responded to the big issues of the day. Check back here for regular updates, and feel free to share your own personal stories of how Smith shaped you.

Little Love Stories

Smith Allowed Me to Dream Bigger

Inspired by a book from a public library, Christy Hardin Smith ’91 found a whole new world at Smith.

  • Little Love Stories
  • January 9, 2025
Conversations with Sarah

Expanding Sophia Smith’s Dream

President Willie-LeBreton reflects on Smith’s history and how the college keeps moving forward.

  • Conversations with Sarah
  • January 7, 2025
Sarah Willie-LeBreton smiling outdoors and sitting on a bench.

Write a little love story to Smith

To help us celebrate the college’s 150th anniversary, send us a love story to Smith. It can be about a favorite place on campus, an influential professor or staff member, an enduring memory or friendship—something that captures the essence of what makes Smith special. We’ll post responses to this page and possibly use some of the stories in an upcoming issue of the Smith Quarterly.

Submit Your Story

Lessons in History

Events throughout our sesquicentennial year offer unique looks into Smith’s long history. Dive into a couple that take you all the way back to the beginning.

150 Years of Smith College & Northampton

Smith President Sarah Willie-LeBreton and Northampton Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra ’96 hosted “150 years later—Smith + Northampton: A History of the College’s Founding” on Saturday, March 8—International Women’s Day and the college’s first Founder’s Day.

Laurie Sanders, Historic Northampton’s co-director and Smith College alumna ’88, took a closer look at the important connections between Northampton history and Smith College’s founding. Watch the recording.

Celebrating 150 Years of Student Life

On display on the ground floor of Neilson Library throughout 2025, this exhibit offers a glimpse into the social, academic, and athletic lives of Smithies over the last 150 years. Check out an astronomy class from the 1800s, a protest in 1956, a dance rehearsal from 1990, and more in this exhibit curated from the Smith College Archives.

Learn more about the display.

A group of Smithies walking away from the Grécourt Gates, smiling

1968 September
Washington, D.C.-area Smith students in front of the Grécourt Gates.
Grounds subject files, CA-MS-00137, box 264.1, folder 23

Game Changer

Smith has always been a place for “Game Changers”—people who challenge the status quo and make a real difference in the world. Their stories show how one person can spark big change.

Explore more profiles of Smith’s Game Changers.

Ng’endo Mwangi ’61

Renowned as Kenya’s first female physician, Ng’endo Mwangi ’61 has been a role model for generations of Smith students. The college’s Mwangi Cultural Center, which has long been a hub for campus activism and community building, is named in her honor. Dr. Mwangi, who grew up in colonial Kenya, attended Smith, where she majored in biological sciences, on an African Airlift scholarship program launched with the support of then Senator John F. Kennedy. After earning her medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, she returned to Kenya, where she founded a rural health clinic serving 30,000 local Maasai tribespeople. Wambui Mwangi ’90 was still a young girl in 1973 when Smith named its Afro-American Cultural Center in honor of her mother. The younger Mwangi—a scholar and educator who was the first president of Smith’s African Students Association—recalls spending hours in the center organizing anti-racism activities on campus. At the time of Ng’endo Mwangi’s passing in 1989, students summed up her legacy this way: “We, the Smith students of today, owe Mwangi a great debt for being one of the vanguard of women who broke down racial and gender barriers, thereby making our progress a little easier.”

Ng’endo Mwangi ’61 during her days as a student at Smith. Smith College Special Collections, College Archives.

Celebrate in Style

In honor of our sesquicentennial, we’ve put together a collection of gear ranging from mugs to T-shirts to notebooks. Let everyone know you’re proud to celebrate 150 years of Smithie magic.

Shop the 150th Collection

A Year of Celebration

We’ll be celebrating all year long. Check out some of the highlights of the sesquicentennial year. View the full events calendar.

Rally Day

February 20

Announcement of the commencement honorands

Bulb Show Opens

March 1

Celebrating the 130th anniversary of the Smith College Botanic Garden

Come Home to Smith Day

November 1

Have a story, content idea, or addition to the timeline? Email smith150@smith.edu.