by Cassandra Linder

Eleanor Rothman

Name

Eleanor Rothman

Position

Director of the Ada Comstock Scholars Program (1975-1998) | Director of Ada Comstock Initiatives for the Future (1998-2004)

Years Active

1975-2004

About Me

Eleanor Rothman was a graduate of Radcliffe College, and prior to accepting the position as Assistant Director, she had previously taught chemistry at a local private school. Rothman was also a working mother, and, therefore, was very sympathetic to the Ada Class and their needs1 Rothman was also married to, Stanley Rothman, a senior member of Smith College’s goverment department, which allowed Rothman to easily transition and work with members of faculty and administration.2

Effect on the Ada Class

Rothman was a crucial part of the early success of the Ada Comstock Scholars Program. She made an immense impact on what the program was when it began, and endlessly fought for Adas and their needs. Rothman more often took the side of Adas then with administration, creating a tight bond with the Ada Class. It would be impossible to truly do justice to what Rothman did for the program in this small post. Rothman was a legend.

Portrait of Eleanor Rothman, director of the Ada Comstock Scholars Program, standing against a brick wall.
Faculty and staff biographical files. Box 992, Folder [insert #]. College Archives, SC-MS-01008, Smith College Special Collections, Smith College Libraries, Northampton, Massachusetts. 20 April 2023.

Footnotes

  1. Bourque, Susan C. “Reimagining Women’s Education: Jill Ker Conway, Smith College, and the ADA Comstock Scholars Program.” Junctures in Women’s Leadership, 2020, pp. 82–98., https://doi.org/10.36019/9780813586243-009. ↩
  2. Bourque, Susan C. “Reimagining Women’s Education: Jill Ker Conway, Smith College, and the ADA Comstock Scholars Program.” Junctures in Women’s Leadership, 2020, pp. 82–98., https://doi.org/10.36019/9780813586243-009. ↩