Grinnell College dedicates Renfrow Hall

GRINNELL — Grinnell College dedicated Renfrow Hall Saturday in honor of 1937 Grinnell graduate Edith Renfrow Smith and her inspiring life of achievement, service and generosity.

Renfrow Hall, located at 1033 Broad St. in downtown Grinnell, will serve as a home for students committed to building a stronger, more engaged community.

The dedication ceremony not only celebrated the unique space but paid tribute to the legacy of Renfrow Smith, who received an honorary doctorate from Grinnell College in 2019.

“If you’ve joined us this morning, sharing in this monumental occasion for our College community and for the centrality of Black Grinnellian experience to Grinnell history, and in the joy of recognizing our beloved alumna, Mrs. Edith Renfrow Smith, you know that what happens here matters,” Grinnell College President Anne F. Harris said.

“The idea for Renfrow Hall came to life by aiming to create spaces where college and community connect, where coalition can be built, where individuals can come to find a place of agency and belonging,” said Harris.

Renfrow Smith, who celebrated her 110th birthday in July, is Grinnell College’s first Black woman graduate, its oldest living alum, an Iowa African American Hall of Fame member and a Grinnell High School Hall of Fame inductee.

Her legacy of service, coalition-building, advocacy and aspiration has inspired generations. The dedication weekend offered an opportunity to uplift and celebrate her lifelong commitment to community and equality.

The weekend-long celebration honoring Renfrow Smith began Sept. 27 with the unveiling of the Rooted in Resilience exhibit, a photo timeline at the Smith Gallery chronicling her life and legacy.

Later that morning, the streets of Grinnell were lined with community members for a welcome parade, celebrating Renfrow Smith’s return to her hometown. A wheat paste mural of the Renfrow sisters was installed, led by Isaac Cam,pbell.

The day closed with dessert and a dance reception in Grinnell’s Central Park.

On Saturday, visitors explored Renfrow Hall, the Katherine Howell Weingart ’61 Civics Innovation Pavilion and exhibits celebrating the Renfrow family legacy.

The dedication ceremony took place at noon.

Born in 1914, Edith Renfrow Smith grew up in one of the oldest Black families in Grinnell. As the fifth of six children, she was instilled with a deep commitment to education, community and equality.

These values guided her through Grinnell College, where she majored in psychology. In 1937, she became the first Black woman to graduate from the college.

Following her graduation, Renfrow Smith moved to Chicago, where she became a pillar of her community, raised two daughters, and enjoyed a distinguished career as a public-school elementary teacher.

Even after her retirement in 1976, she continued to serve others through volunteer work, earning induction into the Chicago Senior Citizens Hall of Fame in 2009.

Grinnell College recognized her lifetime of service with an honorary doctorate in 2019.