Meet the remarkable Edith Renfrow Smith, an inspiration at 107 years young! Her journey from slavery to becoming the first Black graduate of Grinnell College is a testament to resilience and hard work. 🌟📚

Edith Renfrow Smith (born July 14, 1914) is an American woman who was the first African American woman to graduate from Grinnell College, in Grinnell, Iowa.[1] The granddaughter of slaves,[2] Edith at age 108 was designated a “superager” in a study by Northwestern University for her remarkable memory and longevity. In 2019, at the age of 105, she was given an honorary degree from Grinnell College.[3] In 2022, Grinnell College announced it would name a new residence hall in her honor.[4] Renfrow Hall is scheduled to open in the fall of 2024. As of April 2023, Edith is still living in Chicago.

Early life and family history
Born on July 14, 1914, Edith Renfrow was the fifth of six children of Eva Craig and Lee Augustus Renfrow. The Renfrows were one of the few African American families in the community of Grinnell, a small rural town in central Iowa. Both Eva Craig and Lee Renfrow’s parents had been slaves and were born into slavery.[5] Lee’s father, Perry Renfrow, was born into slavery in North Carolina.[6] His mother, Elia (sometimes Alice) Anderson, was born in Gambia and brought to the Americas as a slave.