Edith Renfrow Smith, who witnessed more than a century of Black American history, dies at 111

Edith Renfrow Smith grew up in the 1910s hearing her grandparents’ stories of surviving slavery, including a grandfather who ...

Edith Renfrow Smith, pioneer and witness to history, dies at 111

Last year, for Black History Month, NPR's Scott Simon spoke with Edith Renfrow Smith of Chicago, who has died at 111 years ...

Edith Renfrow Smith, part of ‘SuperAgers’ medical study, dies at 111

In retirement, Smith was a longtime volunteer at the Art Institute of Chicago. As she reached her late 90s in the 2010s, she began drawing interest from researchers from Northwestern and from the news ...

Grinnell's first Black woman graduate Edith Renfrow Smith dies at 111

Edith Renfrow Smith, a supercentenarian born the granddaughter of slaves and who lived through the administrations of 19 U.S.

Edith Renfrow Smith, a ‘memory keeper’ and living link to history, dies at 111

Donation Options Search Search Search Edith Renfrow Smith, just before her 110th birthday, when she baked a cherry pie at her ...

Edith Renfrow Smith, first Black woman to graduate from Grinnell College, dies at 111

Edith Renfrow Smith became known in recent years for her advanced age and memory, which involved meeting important historical ...