John M. Greene Award

Trustee, philanthropist

Madeleine, you are a true champion of Smith College. You are a model volunteer, a big thinker, generous philanthropist, and a kind and supportive friend to so many. Since graduating from Smith 43 years ago, you have never strayed far from our campus, a place that you have said was instrumental in your intellectual development, and which instilled in you a spirit of giving back that endures to this day. To the great benefit of our students, faculty, and staff, Smith College has been one of your biggest causes. When a fellow trustee was asked to describe you and your relationship to Smith, she had this to say: “Madeleine loves Smith to her core. She will never let this college down.” And that has been true for more than four decades. You began volunteering immediately after graduation, serving as regional vice chair for the Campaign for Smith in the 1980s. Numerous other positions followed. Most notably, you served for eight years on the Smith College Board of Trustees, providing invaluable wisdom, insight, and guidance to initiatives related to technology, buildings and grounds, and finances. During your tenure on the board, you served on a remarkable 15 committees. As chair of the Resources and Operations Committee, you brought forward the motions for two of our most consequential initiatives—our no-loans program and the historic geothermal energy project that will help Smith reach carbon neutrality by 2030. Perhaps your greatest contribution as chair of the Resources and Operations Committee was to the successful renovation and redesign of the new Neilson Library. At the same time, as a co-chair of the President’s Library Roundtable, you rallied the Smith community behind the renovation, helping to raise close to $55 million toward construction and programming. For you, the renovation of Neilson was particularly meaningful. The library, you have said, was your “sanctuary” when you were a student. Now, thanks to your vision and generosity, the new Neilson will be a sanctuary for generations of Smithies to come. Through your mentorship with students and fellow alums, your wise counsel and your philanthropy, you have demonstrated a steadfast belief in our mission to educate women of promise for lives of distinction and purpose. Your dedication has had a profound impact on Smith’s evolution as one of the leading liberal arts colleges in the nation. In every way, you embody Sophia Smith’s hope that graduates of her namesake college would use their education to do “the most good to the greatest number.” For your leadership, friendship, and unwavering belief in the power of the Smith experience, Smith College is proud to honor you with the John M. Greene Award.

Alison Overseth ’80
Chair, Board of Trustees
February 24, 2023