- Chronological Listing
Note: Hundreds of media outlets carried
the story of the historic appointment of Smith President Ruth
Simmons to the presidency of Brown University. Included below
are highlights of that coverage.
November 28, 2000
USA TODAY
In light of the "political maelstrom" in Florida,
columnist DeWayne Wickham offered advice to the new president
whoever he might be on creating a centrist government,
one inclusive of many voices. If George W. Bush becomes president,
Wickham observed, "he should ask [Smith President] Ruth
Simmons to head a special commission charged with the responsibility
of developing a national strategy for dealing with the problems
of public education." Wickham noted that Simmons "is
highly regarded among African-Americans, 92 percent of whom voted
for Gore." [www.usatoday.com]
November 28, 2000
ACADEME TODAY
The daily email briefing of the Chronicle of Higher Education,
seen by some 75,000 executives, administrators and faculty members
in higher education, highlighted the launch of Meridians,
the groundbreaking peer-reviewed journal published by Smith College
and Wesleyan University, devoted exclusively to the scholarly
and creative work of women of color. [www.chronicle.com]
November 27, 2000
ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION
Smith President Ruth Simmons' remarks likening her behind-the-scenes
work at the college to thorough housecleaning led staff writer
Geneva Overholser to speculate whether the growing numbers of
women in positions of power will lead to new metaphors of leadership.
Of Simmons' remarks, she wrote: "Here was a shift: a visible,
influential, powerful executive speaking of her leadership style
and sounding not a bit like a general and nothing like a coach."
In the future, Overholser speculated, "Will we take our
cue from the status quo, embracing all those shopworn battleground
and playing field analogies that so dominate power centers in
Washington? Or will we come up with our own metaphors, born of
different experiences?" [www.ajc.com]
November 26, 2000
WASHINGTON POST
In a review of "The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath,
1950 1962," edited by Associate Curator of Rare Books
Karen Kukil, Post staff writer Tim Page identified two
overriding themes in the volume: "the poet's urgent, roaring,
unfettered genius and the profound emotional disturbances that
forever intertwined her life and art." He described the
book as a "meticulously documented edition"; it begins
in 1950, when Plath was preparing to matriculate at Smith, and
continues through the summer of 1962, just prior to her suicide
at age 30. [www.washpost.com]
November 21, 2000
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
A profile of Smith President Ruth Simmons (soon to
become president of Brown University) emphasized Simmons' commitment
to making elite higher education available to all students with
potential. Of her new appointment, Simmons explained, "What
makes me want to do this job is that I believe passionately in
what colleges and universities do because I've benefited
from it. My obligation is to try to preserve the opportunity
for future generations of students like me, who came from the
margins of society and longed to believe in the democratic ideals
that were being expressed to me as a child." [www.csmonitor.com]
November 20, 2000
TIME
Noted the appointment of Smith President Ruth Simmons
to the presidency of Brown University. [www.timemagazine.com]
November 20, 2000
MACLEAN'S
In its annual issue ranking of Canadian universities, Canada's
approximation of U.S. News & World Report noted that increasing
numbers of Canadian students are choosing higher education in
the U.S. One of them is Hannah Swartz '04, who left home
in Toronto to come to Smith because of its small size and depth
of opportunity. "There are good small schools in Canada,
but ones like [the University of Toronto] and McGill are just
really big. Here, the teachers put a lot of effort into being
accessible." One of the reasons students like Hannah find
Smith is through Toronto consultant Janet McLeod '65,
who noted that state universities in the U.S. are also a good
option, since "they have not had the funding cutbacks that
Canadian universities have." [www.macleans.ca]
November 19, 2000
SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS
One of the reasons the presidential election was so close
was because moderate voters had a hard time making up their minds
between to moderate-sounding candidates. The result was a phenomenon
known as retro-politics: a return to familiar, accustomed party
divisions, an election in which "the swing vote didn't swing."
Or, as political scientist Howard Gold put it, "Because
both candidates were centrist and some people had difficulty
choosing, traditional cleavages reasserted themselves."
[www.sjmercury.com]
November 19, 2000
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
In a front-page profile, the hometown newspaper of Smith
President Ruth Simmons celebrated her appointment to the
presidency of Brown University and reflected on Simmons' humble
beginnings in Houston's impoverished Fifth Ward. Writer Janette
Rodrigues attributed many of Simmons' leadership qualities to
her Texas roots. "Simmons is welcoming but no-nonsense,"
she described, "like the East Texas elementary school teachers
who showed her that she could aspire to more than a sharecropper
or someone's secretary," Rodrigues also noted that Simmons
"sees civility as willingness to treat people from other
cultures with respect. It's something she learned in Texas."
[www.chron.com]
November 19, 2000
HARTFORD COURANT
In an op-ed, political scientist Howard Gold and quantitative
skills specialist Jennifer Innes argue that we can never
know who won the presidential election in Florida. As measuring
instruments, they explain, elections are limited in their precision
and accuracy especially when they are very close. But election
officials don't often mention that fact. "When you make
a measurement with a device like a scale, the limits on what
you can measure are pretty obvious. You couldn't use a bathroom
scale to figure the postage on a letter, or a kitchen scale to
figure out if you had gained two pounds. In experimental or observational
studies, any honest scientist or social scientist will tell you
the uncertainty on a measurement. But not so in elections."
[www.courant.com]
November 18, 2000
ASSOCIATED PRESS
A conference at Smith on the future of baseball, organized
by economist Andy Zimbalist and headlined by popular NBC
broadcaster and author Bob Costas, generated headlines around
the country. Particularly noted was Costas' "qualified endorsement"
of Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush who, as co-owner
of the Texas Rangers in 1993, voted against a proposal for a
wild-card playoff system, a position Costas shares. "If
you could guarantee me that he would run the federal government
with that level of insight, I'd call off all recounts now,"
Costas joked. [www.ap.org]
November 18, 2000
SEATTLE TIMES
As overeager parents push their infants and toddlers to reach
developmental milestones, experts cautioned that they may be
doing more harm than good. While early experiences and stimulation
are important, noted education professor Susan Etheredge,
the greater need is for parental interaction not for flash
cards, videos, computer software or elaborate early learning
curricula. "I'm happy there is a growing awareness of the
importance of early care and education, but we don't want to
lose what childhood is supposed to be about," she cautioned.
[www.seattletimes.com]
November 15, 2000
ATLANTA JOURNAL AND CONSTITUTION
Popular columnist Cynthia Tucker highlighted Smith President
Ruth Simmons' appointment to the presidency of Brown University,
reminding Atlanta-area readers that Simmons had once served as
provost of that city's Spelman College. Former Spelman president
Johnnetta Cole described Simmons as "intellectually stunning,
a wonderful human being, a brilliant administrator." Cole
added, "You don't get that triad often." [www.ajc.com]
November 15, 2000
USNEWS.COM
According to U.S. News officials, an online chat on "Mastering
the Job Search," featuring Smith's Career Development Office
Director Barbara Reinhold, was one of its "best-attended
events." An archive of the chat is available at http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/careers/ccreinholdtran.htm
November 14, 2000
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
Following one of the most closely fought presidential elections
in U.S. history, experts agreed that reaching out to the "other
side" must be a top priority for the new president. "There
will be a lot of pressure on the new president to be bipartisan
as the only way to emerge from this mess," predicted government
professor Howard Gold. "It will take real statesmanship."
[www.csmonitor.com]
November 14, 2000
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
From 1920 to 1990, Smith College ranked fifth in the
nation among private four-year undergraduate colleges in producing
Ph.D recipients. Ahead of Smith were Reed (1), Oberlin (2), Wesleyan
(3) and Swarthmore (4); following Smith were Barnard (6), Carleton
(7), Wellesley (8), Pomona (9) and Amherst (10). [www.csmonitor.com]
November 11, 2000
NEW YORK TIMES
Following her appointment to the Brown University presidency,
Smith President Ruth Simmons toured the Georgian Revival
house in Providence, Rhode Island, that will become her new home
on July 1, 2001. Along the way, she talked to New York Times
higher education reporter Jacques Steinberg about her life's
journey from a childhood in poverty in segregated East Texas
to the helm of an Ivy League university. "The overall impression
is one of disbelief that in a lifetime one can travel so far,"
she reflected. [www.nytimes.com]
November 11, 2000
NEW YORK TIMES
In an editorial, the New York Times lauded Brown University
for selecting Smith President Ruth Simmons "a
visionary leader" and "an innovative president"
of Smith -- as its next president. "Harvard, Princeton and
other universities searching for new presidents will be fortunate
to make as inspired a choice as Brown has," the Times observed.
[www.nytimes.edu]
November 10, 2000
WASHINGTON POST
Of President Ruth Simmons' appointment to the Brown
University presidency, the Post announced: "At Brown, New
Leader Breaks Glass Ceilings." [www.washpost.com]
November 10, 2000
INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY
Noted the appointment of Smith President Ruth Simmons
to the presidency of Brown University. [www.investors.com]
November 9, 2000
NEW YORK TIMES
Anticipating the official announcement appointing Smith President
Ruth Simmons to the presidency of Brown University, the New
York Times predicted that Simmons would make history in becoming
the first black president of an Ivy League institution. The article
recounted Simmons' many accomplishments at Smith, "a storied
women's college in Western Massachusetts," including the
near-doubling of the endowment and the establishment of the first
engineering program at a women's college. [www.nytimes.com]
November 9, 2000
USA TODAY
In the wake of the election recount in Florida, political
scientist Howard Gold sympathized with Democratic supporters
who felt that Green Party candidate Ralph Nader had garnered
votes that would have gone to Al Gore. "It's hard not to
believe that there are more than enough Gore votes (among Nader's
Florida vote) to give the election to Gore," Gold commented.
"You can understand the anger." [www.usatoday.com]
November 6, 2000
ASSOCIATED PRESS
In a profile, Anne Martindell, 86, Smith's oldest
undergraduate, described the desire for learning that brought
her back to college to complete her bachelor's degree after a
successful career in politics and international relations. "I
did a lot of things but I was always learning on the job,"
Martindell recounted. "I didn't do badly because I was good
at picking my staff and asking their advice." But it was
the theoretical and historical background she always felt she
lacked. "Even now, one of the criticisms my professors have
is that I don't analyze enough," she explained. "And
it's probably true. All my life, I've relied on my instincts.
Many politicians do." After graduating from Smith, Martindell
said, she may go on to graduate school. "Though my children
have suggested I might want to take a year off to find myself."
[www.ap.org]
November 5, 2000
BOSTON GLOBE
If justification were needed for the publication of "The
Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath, 1950 1962" (edited
by Associate Curator of Rare Books Karen Kukil) reviewer
Diane Middlebrook points out the gaps in the historical and literary
record that have existed until now. Recounting the editorial
actions of Plath's husband and literary executor Ted Hughes after
Plath's death, Middlebrook writes: "By the time Hughes sold
Plath's papers to Smith College in 1981, his interventions were
as prominent in the legend of Sylvia Plath as was her suicide."
[www.boston.com/globe]
November 5, 2000
NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
In an extensive review, Joyce Carol Oates notes that readers
of "The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath, 1950
1962," edited by Associate Curator of Rare Books Karen
Kukil, are unlikely to come away from the book unmoved. "Uncritical
admirers of Plath will find much that is fascinating. Other readers
may find much that is fascinating and repellent in equal measure."
Oates describes the volume, which begins with Plath's undergraduate
years at Smith, as "a bildungsroman in memoirist fragments"
that contain "marvels of discovery." [www.nytimes.com]
November 5, 2000
ESPN "OUTSIDE THE LINES"
As tourism officials in Phoenix try to garner public support
for a new Arizona Cardinals stadium, economist Andy Zimbalist
threw cold water on the argument that improved professional sports
arenas generate economic growth. In a live interview from the
Smith campus, Zimbalist cited numerous studies showing that public
officials and team owners frequently overstate the value of new
stadiums to local economies. The money fans bring in, Zimbalist,
said, "is mostly substitution spending." And the profits,
he noted, "don't circulate in the local economy." [www.espn.com]
November 2, 2000
WALL ST. JOURNAL
An item in the Journal's "Digits" column noted
that the availability of cyber-voting via the Daily Jolt,
a Boston-based web provider for college students has boosted
participation in SGA elections from 15 percent to 25 percent.
This fall's elections for first-year and senior class officers
featured participation rates of 60 percent. Perhaps underestimating
her fellow students, Smith's Daily Jolt webmaster Kendra Grimes
'01 told the Journal she has little fear of online election
fraud. "I'm not sure anyone at Smith has the ability or
the desire to hack it," she said. [www.wsj.com]
November 2, 2000
FINANCIAL TIMES
In its coverage of the Sudan Peace Act, legislation passed
by the U.S. House of Representatives that would, effectively
de-list from the New York Stock Exchange companies doing business
with the Sudanese regime. The London, England, -based Financial
Times quoted Smith faculty member and Sudan peace activist Eric
Reeves as saying that the move would not impact U.S. companies
significantly but would send a powerful statement. "The
financial world has now been put on notice that capital market
sanctions are a live-wire reality," Reeves asserted. [www.financialtimes.com]
Fall 2000
NATIONAL CROSS TALK
Smith's new Picker Program in Engineering and Technology
was the lead story in the fall issue of National Cross Talk,
a higher education tabloid published by the National Center for
Public Policy and Higher Education, a California-based association.
Headlined "Closing the Gender Gap," the extensive story
chronicled the program's beginnings, its grounding in Smith's
liberal arts tradition, the enthusiastic response of the media
and corporations, and the role Smith's engineering graduates
are likely to play in the wider world after they graduate. "Engineers
must appreciate and understand the human condition," explained
Domenico Grasso, who chairs the program. "The market
is in dire need both of women engineers and engineers generally
who are well grounded in their understanding of the human condition.
[www.highereducation.org]
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