Author of Innovative, Colorful History Textbooks to Speak on Rally Day

Joy Frisch Hakim, historian and author, will deliver the 1999 Rally Day Address at Smith College.

Rally Day, an annual event honoring distinguished alumnae, students, and faculty, will be celebrated at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, February 17, in John M. Greene Hall. The event is free and open to the public.

Prior to her address, Hakim, a 1951 graduate of Smith, will join three other alumnae in receiving a Smith College Medal in recognition of her achievements.

Hakim is the author of "A History of US," a 10-volume series of books for young people that has been widely praised as a welcome change from conventional American history textbooks. The series artfully weaves the inevitable facts and dates of history within the larger pattern of an absorbing, colorful, morally complex story.

Calling on her earlier experiences as a teacher and journalist, Hakim spent a decade writing "A History of US." She wanted to make the study of American history challenging and compelling to all children, whatever their academic advantages or disadvantages, and to make the unique stories of all American groups known and appreciated by others.

Although publishers and teachers alike were initially skeptical about textbooks so innovative in content and appearance, Oxford University Press eventually gambled on publishing the series and was handsomely rewarded when "A History of US" was adopted by school systems around the country. Prominent educators have suggested that Hakim's books might spark a revolution in the writing and design of textbooks in other subjects as well.

Other Smith alumnae who will receive medals at Rally Day are Stella Chess '35, child psychiatrist and researcher; Ruth DeYoung Kohler '63, director of Wisconsin's John Michael Kohler Art Center and innovator in arts programming; and Virginia K. Tippie '72, founding director of Coastal America and environmental preservationist.

Rally Day began in 1876 as a celebration of George Washington's birthday. Over time, it has evolved from a primarily social dinner or reception into a day-long college event, at which seniors are permitted to wear their caps and gowns for the first time. This year's celebration will reflect the theme "Smith College: For Women...For the World." The Smith College Medal, for outstanding alumnae, has been awarded at Rally Day since 1973.