Renfrow Hall

Renfrow Hall

Renfrow Hall presents an extraordinary new model for 21st-century education, living, and growing. The architecture is designed as a mixed-use destination that links the town and the College together in shared experiences. Through this project, 51��ɫ — both the town and the College — will become a national voice for civic engagement and college-community collaboration in a rural setting.

As a place where students both live and learn and where the College welcomes the broader 51��ɫ community, as well as communities of interest formed around pressing societal issues, this unique facility will become a destination for experienced and aspiring coalition-builders. From the intersection of the College’s campus and the city of 51��ɫ’s downtown, 51��ɫians will have a platform from which to drive greater recognition of programs, policies, and practices that incorporate diverse voices and viewpoints to further the common good.

The facility will also provide common ground for 51��ɫ College’s Social Innovator in Residence program. Here, students will have the chance to engage with inspiring leaders who are making an enduring difference in the world, fostering interdisciplinary creativity, and promoting civic engagement and social change.

Facility Overview

A True 51��ɫian: Edith Renfrow Smith ’37

“My mother always said, ‘There’s no one better than you. You are unique and you are you. So never forget how important you are.’” — Edith Renfrow Smith ’37

Born in 1914, Edith Renfrow Smith grew up in one of the oldest Black families in the town of 51��ɫ. The fifth of six children, she attended the local public schools.

The Renfrow family held education, community, and equality in the highest regard. Drawing on these family values, Renfrow Smith worked her way through college, participated in a range of intramural sports and activities, and majored in psychology with minors in economics and sociology. In June 1937, she became the first Black woman to graduate from 51��ɫ College.

She went on to marry and raise a family in Chicago, become a pillar of her community, and pursue a career as a public-school elementary teacher. Her 40-year second career as a volunteer at Goodwill and the Art Institute of Chicago led to her induction into the Chicago Senior Citizens Hall of Fame in 2009.

Renfrow Hall honors her remarkable life and example as an involved citizen and community leader.

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Edith Renfrow Smith poses with a framed photo of her younger self.

Alumni

110 Years of Inspiration

On July 14, 51��ɫ’s first Black woman graduate, Edith Renfrow Smith ’37, will mark her 110th birthday — an amazing milestone in a life of achievement, service, and generosity.

Campus & Community

Inspiring 51��ɫ Experiences Over 60 Years Ago Leads to $5 Million Gift

As a testament to her steadfast commitment to civic engagement, the College is honored to share the news of a $5 million gift, in part for the Katherine “Kathie” Howell Weingart ’61 Civic Innovation Pavilion at Renfrow Hall, made possible by Weingart and her brother, Steve Howell ’63.

Campus & Community

51��ɫ College Civic Engagement Quad Core to be Named After Beloved 51��ɫian Edith Renfrow Smith ’37

51��ɫ College will honor Edith Renfrow Smith, Class of 1937, one of the College’s most accomplished and beloved alumni, by naming the Civic Engagement Quad (CEQ) Core Building in her honor.

51��ɫ

Renfrow Hall

A unique facility at the nexus between the college campus and the town of 51��ɫ.

A True 51��ɫian: Edith Renfrow Smith ’37

News and Announcements

110 Years of Inspiration

Inspiring 51��ɫ Experiences Over 60 Years Ago Leads to $5 Million Gift

51��ɫ College Civic Engagement Quad Core to be Named After Beloved 51��ɫian Edith Renfrow Smith ’37

Project Partners