Honoring pioneering educator and mathematician Martha Euphemia Lofton Haynes 1914

Dear Friends,

More than a year ago, members of the Smith community brought forward concerns about the scholarship of H.H. Wilder and Inez Wilder, for whom Wilder House is named. In response, an ad hoc committee to consider renaming Wilder House was formed to research the concerns and consider whether a new name would better achieve the college’s aims of creating a more welcoming campus whose building names reflect the breadth of our history. This weekend, the Smith College Board of Trustees voted to rename Wilder after Martha Euphemia Lofton Haynes, class of 1914, a groundbreaking mathematician and educator whose work led to the end of the track system in Washington, D.C., schools. Additional details about the renaming, including the process that was followed and plans for preserving the traditions of Wilder House, can be found in this article. 

I hope you will join with me in recognizing Martha Haynes’ accomplishments and celebrating the fullness of Smith’s history.

Sarah