Rally Day

One of Smith’s most enduring and exuberant traditions, Rally Day celebrates the power of the Smith community and the remarkable contributions Smith alums have made to our world. The day is highlighted by a festive all-college gathering at which distinguished alums are awarded Smith College Medals by the president. It is also the first time seniors wear their graduation regalia, often topped with creative hats, as they look ahead to life beyond the Grécourt Gates.

Save the date! Rally Day 2026 will take place on Thursday, February 26.

Meet the 2026 Medalists

Four extraordinary alums will receive the Smith College Medal at Rally Day in February, in recognition of their contributions to their communities and the world.

Wendy Brown Dean ’87

Health care advocate

Physician Wendy Brown Dean ’87 is co-founder and CEO of The Moral Injury of Healthcare, a nonprofit focused on alleviating distress among healthcare and medical professionals through research, education, advocacy, and consultation. She maintains that the term “moral injury” is a much more accurate way to describe what has been traditionally called “physician burnout,” because “moral injury” signifies that the system is broken—not the individual. Dean is widely published in both academic journals and mass media and is the author of If I Betray These Words: Moral Injury in Medicine and Why It’s So Hard for Clinicians to Put Patients First. Dean cohosts two podcasts: Moral Matters: Injury of Healthcare and 43cc: The Truth About Healthcare, both of which delve into the state of American health care for practitioners and patients. Before her work with Moral Injury, Dean practiced psychiatry, was involved with research innovation for the Department of Defense, and supported military medical research at an international nonprofit.

Lori L. Tharps ’94

Journalist and educator

Lori L. Tharps ’94 is an author, journalist, educator, podcast host, and popular speaker who describes her work as meeting “at the intersection of race and real life.” Tharps spent two years working on Madison Avenue at one of New York City’s top public relations agencies, before earning a master’s from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. She started her journalism career as a staff reporter at Vibe magazine, then worked as a correspondent for Entertainment Weekly. She has done writing and editing for top publications, including Ms., Glamour, Essence, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. Tharps is the award-winning author of three critically-acclaimed nonfiction books: Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America, Kinky Gazpacho: Life, Love & Spain, and Same Family, Different Colors: Confronting Colorism in America’s Diverse Families. In 2021, Tharps, who has three children, moved with her family to the south of Spain to pursue a full-time career as a creative writer. The following year, she launched the Reed, Write, and Create podcast and platform, which provides inspiration and resources for BIPOC writers.

Theanne Griffith ’08

Neuroscientist and children’s author

Theanne Griffith ’08 is an assistant professor in the department of physiology and membrane biology at the University of California, Davis. The Griffith Lab investigates the sense of proprioception, the internal awareness of the body’s position in space, using a combination of molecular biology, physiology, and neuroscience techniques. The impact of her research has been nationally recognized with a Sloan Research Fellowship, a McKnight Scholar Award, and a recent appointment as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Freeman Hrabowski Scholar. In addition to her research, Griffith is the author of an award-winning STEM-themed series for children titled The Magnificent Makers, and the co-author of the nonfiction series Ada Twist, Scientist: The Why Files, which accompanies the Netflix series of the same name.

Elim Chan ’09

Conductor

Elim Chan ’09 is one of the most sought-after classical music conductors of her generation, known for her expressive energy and concise movements. She earned a master’s and a doctorate in music from the University of Michigan, and, in 2014, she became the first woman to win the prestigious Donatella Flick Conducting Competition, and went on to spend the 2015–16 season as assistant conductor at the London Symphony Orchestra, where she worked closely with Valery Gergiev. This experience launched Chan’s international career, and she has since worked with the world’s best orchestras, including serving as the first female principal conductor of the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra in Belgium, between 2019 and 2024, and principal guest conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, between 2018 and 2023. Scheduled performances in the 2025/26 season include return engagements with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, and Orchestre de Paris.

Nominate an alum

Rallying Through the Years

Since its inception in 1876, Rally Day has remained a cherished Smith tradition that has taken several forms. Whether through fun skits, imaginative hats, or basketball games against the faculty (yes, really), it’s always been a day of celebration.

1895

Two members of the class of 1895, Elsie Bourland and Marguerite Wells, participate in a mock trial of George Washington.

1925

Members of the class of 1925 participate in the “Grand Class Sing.”

1931

A group of students dressed as “guinea pigs” on Rally Day.

1957

Seniors perform their skit “Cosmic Colic” onstage during Rally Day festivities.

1963

Students participate in the class skit competition.

A group of students listening to Maya Angelou

1975

Students listen to Maya Angelou, who received an honorary degree from Smith in 1975, in the Alumnae House.

Faculty members on the basketball court.

1977

Members of the “Faculty Flamingoes” basketball team on the court during Rally Day activities.

1996

A group of Ada Comstock Scholars on Rally Day.

A group of seniors in front of John M. Greene Hall, in hats and gowns.

2002

A group of seniors pose in front of John M. Greene Hall.

2017

Students react to the announcement of Oprah Winfrey as Commencement speaker at Rally Day.

2023

Students cheer during the 2023 Rally Day awards convocation.

Awards

Faculty Teaching Award

Given annually by the Student Government Association, the Faculty Teaching Award recognizes and rewards distinction in teaching and professors’ ability to connect to students, both in and outside of the classroom. The award was established more than 20 years ago as a way for students to thank educators for their support, encouragement and inspiration. Each year students are encouraged to submit nominations to the SGA Curriculum Committee through written and other creative forms of expression.

Elizabeth B. Wyandt Gavel Award

The Elizabeth B. Wyandt Gavel Award is given annually to Smith staff members “who have given extraordinarily of themselves to the Smith College community as a whole.” Established in 1984, the Wyandt Gavel Award is administered by the Student Government Association, which solicits nominations from students.

Rally Day History

The Smith College Medal has been awarded to outstanding alumnae at Rally Day since 1973. The medalists have become an important part of the program, speaking prior to convocation in classes and afterward in conversations with students.

The origins of Rally Day can be traced to a series of annual celebrations of George Washington’s birthday, the first of which was held at Smith College in February 1876. These celebrations evolved from social dinners or receptions into daylong college events. The addition of a “rally” to the day in 1894 was eventually reflected in the name Rally Day, first used in 1906. The celebration is still held annually in February but has evolved from a patriotic commemoration to a convocation.

Over the years, students have sponsored and participated in various activities: rallies, debates, basketball rivalries, dramatic presentations, singing and dancing (at first only square dancing was allowed; the waltz was introduced 20 years later).

The current tradition of sponsoring an event to benefit a charity began in 1918 when the Rally Day Show was held to raise funds for the Smith College Relief Unit serving in World War I France. It was not until 1943 that a woman—Denise H. Davey, vice chair of the Fighting French Relief Committee—was invited to speak at the commemoration exercises. For several years, the president has chosen Rally Day to announce the upcoming commencement speaker.

Dress at Rally Day has evolved as well. In 1944, the senior class began wearing its graduation caps and gowns to the convocation. The day still marks the first time the seniors publicly wear their gowns. In recent years, however, the caps have been replaced by inventive hats of the students’ choosing (and sometimes of their own making), in keeping with the “rallying” and spirited nature of the day.