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 Chevanne DeVaney ’95, P’21, P’23, Executive Director of Alumni and Alumnae Relations, at (315) 781-4069.
Goals
In support of its stated mission, the William Smith Alumnae Association will:
- Provide opportunities for alumnae to maintain and expand their relationships with one another and the Colleges.
- Elevate William Smith’s reputation and raise its visibility in local communities.
- Foster a better understanding of the coordinate system structure and its benefits for men and women.
- Expand and support opportunities for alumnae to serve William Smith, particularly in the areas of student recruitment, fund-raising, career development, and alumnae programming.
- Identify and recognize outstanding alumnae, students, and faculty.
- Communicate current, meaningful information about William Smith and the William Smith Alumnae Association to current and prospective students and alumnae on a regular basis.
- Cultivate students so they will become active alumnae.
- Enhance and enrich the experiences of students through contact with alumnae on and off campus.
- Increase participation in regional activities and expand opportunities for alumnae to engage with the Colleges in their own communities.
- Capitalize on William Smith connections to create career and other networking opportunities which support alumnae and students.
- Create opportunities for alumnae to return to campus more often.
- Coordinate with the Hobart Alumni Association in support of the above-stated mission and goals.
Committees
Executive Committee
President – Katharine Strouse Canada ’98
Vice President – Roxanne Jackson '81
Immediate Past President and Association Trustee – Kirra Henick-Kling Guard ’08, MAT’09
Member-at-large – Jennifer Casey '90
Member-at-large – Jenny Quirindongo '08, MAT'09
Member-at-large – Cameron W. Gaynor ’14
Historian – Amanda Shaw '11
Association Trustees – Kirra Henick-Kling Guard ’08, MAT’09
Julie Bazan '93
Full list of William Smith College Alumnae Association Past Presidents
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
Casey Donahue '97
Laura Graf Coburn '89
Heritage Committee
The Heritage Committees’ objective is to preserve the identity, traditions, history, legends, songs, and symbols of William Smith College.
Committee Members:
Ayesha DeMond-Angell '11
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:
Tempe Newson Landi ’11, William Smith Co-Chair
Melissa Fasolo Gorczynski '98
Audrey Platt '21
Hobart:
William Tierney ’90, P’20, Hobart Co-Chair
Lawrence Moultrie ’04
David Fisher '10
William Smith Alumnae Association Bylaws
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
William Smith Dean’s Welcome*
The Dean’s Welcome is an event dedicated to welcoming the first-year class during Orientation weekend.
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. Each member is presented with the fifth charm, the Pine Tree.
2023 William Smith Welcome Photo Gallery
*In conjunction with the William Smith Dean’s Office
Class Charms
In 2012, the Alumnae Association introduced the tradition of class charms. Charms are presented at the “bookend” events of new student orientation, Moving Up Day and the Senior Welcome Toast. Each William Smith students ends up with five charms when she graduates. The charms represent important symbols of our College.
The Pinecone, which holds the seed of the pine tree, our college symbol, is given to arriving students at Orientation as they begin their journeys at William Smith.
The Shield featuring the “lamp of learning” is presented at Moving Up Day to first-years at they move up to become sophomores and delve deeper into their academic journeys.
The Smith Hall Doors were used as the WS Centennial logo and are presented as Moving Up Day to sophomores – representing the opening of a world of possibilities for them as they become juniors.
The Heron is presented at Moving Up Day to juniors as they prepare to become seniors and are to soon “take flight”.
The Pine Tree is the William Smith College symbol and is presented to graduating seniors at the Associations’ Senior Welcome during senior week.
The Pine Tree is the William Smith College symbol and is presented to graduating seniors at the Associations’ Senior Welcome during senior week.
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.