The following is a list of individuals associated with Smith College through attending as a student, or serving as a member of the faculty or staff.
Notable alumnae The Alumnae Association of Smith College considers all former students to be members, whether they graduated or not, and does not generally differentiate between graduates and non-graduates when identifying Smith alumnae.
Academia Frances Dorothy Acomb, 1932, academic and historian Susan Low Bloch, 1966, professor at Georgetown University Law Center, member of the American Law Institute Laura Bornholdt, 1940, historian and dean at Sarah Lawrence College, University of Pennsylvania, and Wellesley College Mary Whiton Calkins, 1884, philosopher and psychologist LaWanda Cox, 1934, M.A., noted historian of slavery and reconstruction at Hunter College Otelia Cromwell, 1900, first African-American woman to receive a Yale degree, educator Diana L. Eck, 1967, professor of comparative religion and Indian studies and master of Lowell House at Harvard University Mira Hinsdale Hall, 1883, founder of Miss Hall's School Jean Harris, 1945, notable for work with female inmates after serving time herself Margaret Hutchins, 1906, reference librarian and professor at Columbia University Elisabeth Irwin, 1903, founder of Little Red School House Sally Katzen, 1964, law scholar, civil servant Catharine MacKinnon, 1968, feminist, scholar, lawyer, teacher and activist Neda Maghbouleh, 2004, American-born Canadian sociologist, scholar, writer, author, and educator; the Canada Research Chair in Migration, Race, and Identity and associate professor of sociology at the University of Toronto Mississauga Amy Richlin, 1970, professor in Department of Classics at UCLA Sylvia Scribner, 1943, psychologist and educational researcher Bonnie G. Smith, 1962, historian at Rutgers University Denise Spellberg, 1980, scholar of Islamic history Terrie Christine Stevens, 1970, mathematician and founder of Project NExT Helen R. Stobbe, 1930, geologist and professor Laura D'Andrea Tyson, 1969, professor at Haas School of Business of UC Berkeley, former and first female Director of National Economic Council, former Chair of Council of Economic Advisors, first female dean of London Business School
College presidents Ada Comstock, 1897, third and first full-time president of Radcliffe College Rhoda Dorsey, 1946, longest-serving and first female president of Goucher College Elizabeth Hoffman, 1968, 20th president of the University of Colorado System Victoria Murden McClure, 1985, president of Spalding University Mary Patterson McPherson, 1957, sixth president of Bryn Mawr College, former vice president of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, executive officer of American Philosophical Society Nancy A. Roseman, 1980, 28th president of Dickinson College
Activism Shaharzad Akbar, 2009, Afghan human rights activist Blanche Ames Ames, 1899, president of the Class of 1899, portraitist, women's rights activist, and inventor Heloise Brainerd, 1904, peace activist Jennifer Chrisler, 1992, executive director of Family Equality Council Alice T. Days, documentary filmmaker Betty Friedan, 1942, author of The Feminine Mystique, co-founder and first president of National Organization for Women, renowned feminist Martha Smith Kimball, 1892, suffragist Yolanda King, 1976, activist and daughter of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Susan Lindauer, 1985, journalist and antiwar activist Kathleen Ridder, 1945, philanthropist, educator, writer, equality for women activist Jean Gurney Fine Spahr, 1883, social reformer associated with the Rivington Street Settlement Gloria Steinem, 1956, founder of Ms. magazine, founding editor of New York Magazine, noted feminist and political activist Helen Rand Thayer, 1884, co-founder and president of the College Settlements Association Mary van Kleeck, 1904, social feminist Gertrude Weil, 1901, activist of women's suffrage, labor reform and civil rights
Arts Desiree Akhavan, 2007, filmmaker and actress, Appropriate Behavior and The Miseducation of Cameron Post Garrett Bradley, 2007, filmmaker Tia Blake, 1989, singer-songwriter and writer Holly Trostle Brigham, 1988, feminist painter Gina Knee Brook, artist Cheryl Crawford, 1925, theatre producer and director Miriam Davenport, 1937, painter and sculptor who played a central role in helping European Jews escape the Holocaust Eleanor de Laittre, artist Maya Deren, 1939, U.S. avant-garde filmmaker and film theorist of the 1940s and 1950s Alison Frantz, 1924, archeological photographer and academic Merrill Garbus, 2001, founder, lead singer and instrumentalist for Tune-Yards Thelma Golden, 1985, board of Obama Foundation and chief curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem Shelley Hack, 1969, actress and model Sarah P. Harkness, 1937, architect Cynthia Harris, 1955, actress Susan Hiller, 1961, conceptual artist Rose Jang, 2001, pop opera singer, PR ambassador for Korean Tourism Office and UNESCO of Korea Mimi Kennedy, 1970, actress Diana Kleiner, 1969, art historian Carolyn Kuan, 1999, conductor, pianist, music director for Hartford Symphony Orchestra May Lillie, 1886, Wild West show performer and equestrian MJ Long, joint architect of the British Library Kathleen Marshall, 1985, three-time Tony Award-winning choreographer Dorothy Canning Miller, 1925, first professionally trained curator at the Museum of Modern Art Deborah Nehmad, 1974, attorney and artist Cornelia Oberlander, 1944, landscape architect Toks Olagundoye, 1997, actress, ABC TV sitcom The Neighbors Judith Raskin, 1949, Metropolitan Opera Soprano Romita Ray, 1992, art historian Pauline Gibling Schindler, 1915, Los Angeles arts figure Sandy Skoglund, 1968, artist Mary Otis Stevens, 1949, architect Patricia Wettig, 2001, actress and playwright, Brothers & Sisters Inez Harrington Whitfield, 1889, Arkansas-based botanical illustrator Stoner Winslett, 1980, artistic director, Richmond Ballet Alice Morgan Wright, 1904, sculptor, suffragist, advocate of animal rights
Authors Natalie Babbitt, 1954, Newbery Medal Honor-winning author of Knee-Knock Rise and Tuck Everlasting Joanna Barnes, 1956, actress and author Lillian Barrett, 1906, novelist and playwright Mildred Grosberg Bellin, 1928, cookbook author Mary Hastings Bradley, 1905, author Anna Hempstead Branch, 1897, poet Dorothy Hamilton Brush, 1917, author; birth control and women's rights advocate Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, 1929, author of Cheaper by the Dozen Ann Downer, 1982, writer Margaret Edson, 1983, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of Wit Edith Granger, 1891, author of Index of Poetry Laurie Ann Guerrero, 2008, writer and Texas poet laureate Svava Jakobsdóttir, 1952, Icelandic author, politician and women's rights activist Piper Kerman, 1992, author of Orange is the New Black Megan Dowd Lambert, 1996, children's book author Tosca Lee, 1992, best-selling author of Demon: A Memoir and Havah: The Story of Eve Madeleine L'Engle, 1941, Newbery Medal Honor-winning author of A Wrinkle in Time Anne Morrow Lindbergh, 1928, author of Gift from the Sea, pioneering aviator, spouse of Charles Lindbergh Pearl London, 1937, poet and teacher Sarah MacLean, 2000, bestselling author of young adult and romance novels Annie Russell Marble, 1886, 1895, author and essayist Ann Matthews Martin, 1977, Newbery Medal Honor-winning author of The Baby-Sitters Club Aubrey Menard, author and activist Olive Beaupré Miller (née Olive Kennon Beaupré), 1904, author, publisher and editor of children's literature Margaret Mitchell, 1922, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Gone with the Wind (1937); left Smith shortly after her mother's death Erin Morgenstern, 2000, author of The Night Circus Ruth Ozeki, 1980, Japanese-American novelist and filmmaker Sylvia Plath, 1955, poet, novelist, and author of The Bell Jar and Ariel Halina Poświatowska, 1961, Polish poet and writer; one of the most important figures in modern Polish literature Olive Higgins Prouty, 1904, author of Now, Voyager and Stella Dallas Anna Chapin Ray, 1885, prolific author of juvenile and adult literature Cynthia Propper Seton, 1948, novelist, nominated for the National Book Award Janna Malamud Smith, 1979, non-fiction writer Martha Southgate, 1982, award-winning author J. Courtney Sullivan, 2003, novelist and former writer for The New York Times Dorothy Hayden Truscott, international champion bridge player and author Yoshiko Uchida, 1944, Japanese-American writer Cynthia Irving Voigt, 1963, Newbury Medal-winning author J.R. Ward, 1991, bestselling author of romance novels Diane Wolkstein, children's author and folklorist Hanya Yanagihara, 1995, author of A Little Life Jane Yolen, 1963, author and editor of almost 300 books
Business Lydia Jett, 2001, venture capitalist and former executive at SoftBank Vision Fund Shelly Lazarus, 1968, former CEO and chairman of Ogilvy & Mather Enid Mark, 1954, founder of the ELM Press Christine McCarthy, 1977, CFO of The Walt Disney Company Marilyn Carlson Nelson, 1961, former chairman and CEO of the Carlson Companies, former chair of the National Women's Business Council Phebe Novakovic, 1979, chairman and CEO of General Dynamics Durreen Shahnaz, 1989, founder of Impact Investment Exchange (IIX), the world's first social stock exchange
Diplomats and government officials Barbara Pierce Bush, 1947, 43rd First Lady of the United States (did not graduate, left college in 1945 to marry George H. W. Bush) Leecia Eve, 1986, deputy secretary for Economic Development in the Executive Chamber of New York governor, senior policy adviser to U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton during her 2008 primary campaign for president Judith Fergin, 1973, former United States Ambassador to East Timor Louka Katseli, 1972, Greek Minister of Economy, Competitiveness and Shipping Maria Lopez, 1975, Cuban-American former judge and former television jurist Anne Clark Martindell, 2002 former United States Ambassador to New Zealand Helen Milliken, 1945, longest-serving First Lady of Michigan Emily W. Murphy, 1995, administrator of the General Services Administration Stephanie Neely, 1985, treasurer of City of Chicago Farah Pandith, 1990, special representative to Muslim Communities for U.S. Department of State Thelma Parkinson, 1920, politician, candidate for 1930 special election for the United States Senate, member of the New Jersey State Board of Tax Appeals, member (and later president) of the New Jersey Civil Service Commission, 1954–1970 Nancy Reagan, 1943, 42nd First Lady of the United States Sherry Rehman, 1985, former Pakistan Ambassador to the United States Mary Scranton, 1940, former First Lady of Pennsylvania (1963–1967) (Referenced in: ) Elizabeth Rudel Smith, 1933, treasurer of the United States Julianna Smoot, 1989, deputy campaign manager, Obama for America, former White House Social Secretary Adrianne Todman, 1991, acting U.S. secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Senators, congresspersons, and other politicians Lauren Arthur, 2010, Missouri Labor and Industrial Relations commissioner, former Missouri state senator and representative Barbara Adams, 1973, general counsel of Pennsylvania Tammy Baldwin, 1984, first openly gay U.S. senator, former U.S. representative of Wisconsin's 2nd District Becca Balint, 1990, member of the U.S. House of Representatives Deborah Bergamini, 1993, member of the Italian Parliament Leanna Brown, 1956, first Republican woman elected to the New Jersey Senate Emily Couric, 1969, late Virginia state senator and sister of television journalist Katie Couric Mattie Daughtry, 2009, Democratic assistant majority leader of the Maine Senate representing the 24th District Jane Lakes Harman, 1966, president of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, U.S. representative of California's 36th District