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. 

150 Years, 150 Stories

Smith College has an inspiring and complex story. Over the course of the year, we collected 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.

150th Anniversary

1995: Poised for the Presidency

Ruth Simmons is sworn in as Smith’s pres. and the first Black person to lead a Seven Sisters school.

  • 150th Anniversary
  • April 23, 2025
150th Anniversary

1998: Bringing the Dragon to Life

Jane Yolen ’60 on Tea with an Old Dragon, her book about Sophia Smith and John M. Greene’s daughter.

  • 150th Anniversary
  • April 23, 2025
150th Anniversary

1993: Evolving Dining Options

How Smith adapted its focus on sit-down meals for a generation of students used to food on the run.

  • 150th Anniversary
  • April 23, 2025
Emerson House Dining Room

Lessons in History

Events throughout our sesquicentennial year offered 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 offered 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.

Gloria Steinem ’56

Cofounder of Ms. magazine and author of the bestseller Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions, along with several other books, Gloria Steinem ’56 is a high-profile activist and feminist icon who has helped organize and launch some of the most important women’s groups of the past century, including the Ms. Foundation for Women, the Women’s Action Alliance, the National Women’s Political Caucus, and the Women’s Media Center. A well-respected journalist who has been published in Esquire and The New York Times Magazine, Steinem famously went undercover for New York magazine as a Playboy bunny in the 1960s and wrote an exposé (called “A Bunny’s Tale”) about her eye-opening experience. Steinem has earned numerous accolades during her lifetime, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013 and a place in the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, New York, in 1993.

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