An Inauguration Riddle

Question: What has 4,000 box lunches, 5,000 chairs, 275 people in full academic regalia, a gamelan concert, a foliage walk, five special exhibitions, Adrienne Rich reading her poetry, fireworks and a delegate from the University of Edinburgh (founded in 1583) all in one place?

Answer: It’s Carol T. Christ’s inauguration as Smith’s tenth president, of course.


From Friday through Sunday, October 18–20 (Family Weekend), the campus will be awash with guests—families visiting their daughters, alumnae volunteers returning for a dose of training, trustees looking around to see how their institution is doing, delegates from other institutions bringing their greetings, and family and friends of Carol Christ—all here to enjoy the pomp and pageantry of her installation as Smith’s tenth president.

The centerpiece of the weekend will be on Saturday, October 19, at noon in the Indoor Track and Tennis Facility, where thousands will watch Carol Christ receive the symbols of office from Rochelle Braff Lazarus ’68, chair of the Smith Board of Trustees. The installation is but one in a cornucopia of activities that will occur throughout the weekend, beginning Friday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. with a poetry reading by Adrienne Rich and ending on Sunday with a soccer game against MIT. See a full listing of events…