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Famous chefs, Pulitzer Prize winners, political
columnists, environmental researchers, film directors,
venture capitalists, physicists, poets, playwrights,
CEOs—Smith women apply their learning throughout
their lives in thousands of professions and communities.
Try our guessing game of Smith alumnae “firsts,”
experience the scope of accomplishments by browsing
the database, and nominate
other alumnae for inclusion in an ever-expanding
group of Notable Alumnae.
| First
woman mayor of Cambridge, MA_ First
woman editor of New York Times business
section_ First
woman partner in New York City's largest
law firm_ First
woman director in the office of the UN High
Commission_ First
woman on California State Board of
Health_ First
woman chair of Consumer Product Safety Commission_
First Ladies
of the United States_ First
woman to fly a jet plane_ First
black woman district attorney in
NYC_ First
woman to receive a medical degree summa
cum laude from Harvard_ First
woman president of Thoroughbred
Owners and Breeders Association_ First
woman appointed to the US Foreign
Service_ First
woman officer of the Federal Reserve Bank
of NYC_ First
woman president of American Society of Newspaper
Editors_First
mayor of Greenfield, MA_ First
woman chair of a department (sociology)
at UPenn_ First
woman to be awarded the Barbour Air Safety
Award_ First
woman judge in Maine_ First
woman president of United Scenic
Artists_ First
inspector general of the US Department of
Labor_ First
Hispanic woman appointed to Massachusetts
Superior Court_ First
woman dean of the college at Princeton_First
woman member of board of directors
of US Export-Import Bank_First
woman to row the Atlantic alone_
First woman
physician in Kenya_ First
woman ordained an Episcopal priest
in Diocese of Central PA_ First
woman to be elected a New York State
Justice_ First
woman elected to the National Academy of
Sciences_ First
woman network television sports producer_
First woman
dean of an American theological school (Vanderbilt)_
First woman
to chair White House Council of Economic
Advisers_ First woman
doctor on staff at New York Hospital in
Manhattan_ First woman
to climb Mt. McKinley
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Laura and Karen Swymer

For many alumnae,
a Smith education is part of their family tradition.
For the Swymers, Smith became a home away from
home for the entire family. In what grew to be
a treasured ritual, each fall George and Beverly
Swymer drove their daughters to campus until all
four received their degrees. Christine ’90,
Karen ’91, Laura ’94 and Emily ’96
all thrived at Smith and made their parents proud.
Sadly, since graduation two of the sisters have
been lost. In October 2001, Laura Swymer Clancy
died suddenly while competing in the Baltimore
Marathon. Six months later, Karen Swymer Shanahan’s
long battle with cancer ended. The tragic loss
of these vibrant young women continues to be felt
by the Smith community.
In a moving gesture, family and friends have chosen
to memorialize Karen and Laura by generously establishing
an endowed scholarship fund in their names. For
generations to come, Karen and Laura’s legacy
will directly impact and enrich the lives of deserving
Smith students. How fitting that the Swymer sisters
zest for life will be celebrated as well as honored
here at Smith, their second home. |
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