William Smith Alumnae Association
Mission
The William Smith Alumnae Association is the alumnae organization of William Smith College. Its purpose is to strengthen relations between William Smith College, its students, and its alumnae and to improve the College by involving and serving alumnae.
The mission of the William Smith Alumnae Association is to create an ever evolving range of programs and services so that all alumnae will seek to remain connected and engaged with the College and each other; provide opportunities for alumnae to make meaningful contributions of time, talent, and resources toward the betterment of the Hobart and William Smith community; and to support the mission of the Colleges in all its communications, programs and initiatives.
For more information, please contact the Office of Alumni and Alumnae Relations at alumrelations@hws.edu.
William Smith Alumnae Association Bylaws
Committees
Executive Committee
President – Roxanne Jackson '81
Vice President – Jennifer Casey '90
Immediate Past President and Association Trustee – Katharine Strouse Canada ’98
Association Trustee – Kirra Henick-Kling Guard ’08, MAT’09
Historian – Amanda Shaw '11
Member-at-large & Admissions Liaison – Jenny Quirindongo '08, MAT'09
Member-at-large – Tempe Newson Landi ’11
Full list of William Smith College Alumnae Association Past Presidents
LIAISONS
Afro Latino Alumni Association - Kwame J. Lovell '10
Chief Class Correspondent - Nancy Nowak Rutherford '71
Heron Society - Caroline Wenzel Chapman ’05
LGBTQIA+ Alumni Network - Jonathan "Jon" R. Hureau '07 (He/Him)
Local Alumnae Ambassador - Meghan Warager Guard ’12, MAT ’13
Career Services - Connor S. Barnett '16
Honors Committee
The Honors Committees’ objective is to promote the recognition of worthy alumnae, alumni, faculty, administrators, students and friends of the Alumnae Association.
Committee Members:
Shavonne Ward '09, Chair
Colleen McDonough '98
Caroline Ross Galdabini '89
Heritage Committee
The Heritage Committees’ objective is to preserve the identity, traditions, history, legends, songs, and symbols of William Smith College.
Committee Members:
Laura Graff Coburn '89, P'17, Chair
Sakina Gabriel Bess '98
Alexandria M. Robbins-Jackson '18
Bennett Tierney '20
Distinguished Faculty Committee
(Joint Committee with Hobart Alumni Association)
The objective of the Distinguished Faculty Committee is to promote the recognition of outstanding members of the Colleges’ faculty, living or deceased, who have been retired for at least five years. View past recipients
Committee Members:
William Smith:
Melissa Fasolo Gorczynski '98, William Smith Co-Chair
Audrey G.R. Platt ’21
Ariel Trent '14
Josephina M. Rago '11
Hobart:
William "Bill" H. Tierney ’90, P’20, Hobart Co-Chair
Lawrence J. Moultrie ’04
Maxwell "Max" I. Potter '14
Awards
Alumna Achievement Award
The Alumna Achievement Award is the William Smith College Alumnae Association’s highest honor. It is awarded to an alumna who, by reason of outstanding accomplishments in her particular business, profession or community service, has brought honor and distinction to her alma mater.
Click here to view past recipients
Elizabeth Herendeen Odell ’22 Award
The Elizabeth Herendeen Odell ’22 Award was established in honor of Elizabeth Herendeen Odell ’22 who served as Alumnae Secretary from 1952 to 1970. This award is the Alumnae Association’s highest honor for outstanding service to William Smith College by an alumna. This award is presented during Reunion Weekend.
Click here to view past recipients
Alumna Citation
Citations are presented for distinguished and exceptional service and a history of outstanding contributions to William Smith College by alumnae, faculty, staff or friends of the College. This award is presented during Reunion Weekend.
Click here to view past recipients
The Young Alumna Award
The Young Alumna Award is presented within 15 years following graduation to alumnae who demonstrate exceptional volunteer service and commitment to The Colleges. This award is presented during Reunion Weekend.
Click here to view past recipients
William Smith Traditions
Founder’s Day
William Smith students come together to pay tribute to William Smith the founder of the College. Celebrated in November/December.
Celebrating Excellence Dinner
The Celebrating Excellence Dinner is dedicated to recognizing the achievements of remarkable William Smith students and to inducting the new members of the Laurel Honor Society for outstanding sophomores and juniors. Celebrated in February.
Blackwell Hale Academic Achievement Dinner
The Blackwell Hale Academic Achievement Dinner honors Hobart students and William Smith students who have outstanding academic achievements and social contributions to Hobart College and William Smith College. It brings together students and distinguished alumni and alumnae to recognize the best of Hobart and William Smith’s traditions and achievements.
Moving Up Day
Moving Up Day is a ceremony that acknowledges the progression of each class of William Smith students near the end of the academic year. Students gather by class at the top of the William Smith Hill wearing their class colors. They process down the Hill to the event carrying their class banner. This annual tradition allows students to celebrate one another’s achievements over the past year. Academic awards are presented to William Smith students and new members are inducted into the Hai Timiai Honor Society.
Senior Welcome
During senior week, the Senior Welcome is an annual event to officially welcome soon-to-be William Smith graduates into the Alumnae Association. The Alumnae Association Award, The Elizabeth Herendeen Odell ’22 Book Award and The Judith Haslam Cross ’52 Award are also presented during the ceremony.
William Smith College Alma Mater
Listen to the William Smith College alma mater
When the lake in silver morning
brightly gleams all blue and clear,
When the sunshine floods the
hillsides, shedding glory far and
near, Glad are we that we are with
thee, Alma Mater, ever dear.
When a-stealing o’er the campus,
soft the dreaming noondays fall,
And from out the pine trees’
shadow sings a bird with lilting call,
Then in pride and joy we praise
thee, Alma Mater, loved of all.
When the sun behind the hilltops,
radiant sinks at close of day, And
the breeze that stirred the pine
trees, softly sighing, dies away,
Then our hearts to thee are
turning, Alma Mater, loved for aye.
Chorus:
Oh, William Smith, to thee we sing
in heartfelt loyalty, For all the days
that we shall live, we pledge our
love to thee.