NORTHAMPTON – A local memorial service has been set for former Smith College president Jill Ker Conway, who died in June at the age of 83.
The service will take place on Oct. 18, at 4 p.m. at Helen Hills Hills Chapel on Elm St., and is open to the public.
Conway was an accomplished historian, and served as the first woman president of Smith College from 1975 to 1985. During her tenure, she was credited with nearly tripling the college’s endowment, overseeing the construction of Ainsworth Gymnasium and helping in the development of initiatives like the Ada Comstock Scholars Program for students of non-traditional age.
“She was so important to the Smith community,” current President Kathleen McCartney said after Conway’s passing in June. “She was a larger-than-life figure on the Smith campus still.”
Dusty Christensen can be reached at dchristensen@gazettenet.com.