page_title: Smith College commencement controversies
section_title: 2014, Christine Lagarde
hierarchical_section_title: Smith College commencement controversies / 2014, Christine Lagarde
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: Christine Lagarde, directrice générale du Fonds monétaire international (FMI)English: Christine Lagarde, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund
context_page_description: Commencement controversy at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts has sometimes been the result of the selection of the commencement speaker. Most recently, this occurred between February and May 2014, when protests over Christine Lagarde’s invitation allegedly forced her to rescind her acceptance to give the commencement speech for the class of 2014 at their graduation. While it is said that “such reversals have become more common in recent years” given that, “what has changed is not so much the protests themselves, but the willingness of colleges and speakers to give in”, there is actually a longer history of controversy over the chosen commencement speaker that spans back to the 1960s if not before. What Smith’s history shows is that the struggle over representation, as demonstrated by the controversy over commencement speakers in many colleges, is not a new occurrence, but rather an old stage for a struggle over an institution’s values and those that the institution represents.
context_section_description: The frame that many media outlets used to situate the Kirkpatrick controversy at Smith was used again in 2014 in regards to Christine Lagarde’s decision to withdraw her acceptance to speak at graduation. Christine Lagarde, the first female Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, sparked numerous protests, petitions, and discussions. Parallels were drawn with Smith’s current campaign, that states its mission as educating powerful woman for the benefit of the world. Whether or not Christine Lagarde benefited the world with her high-status position was the contested question.
  In the wake of the protests, she rescinded her acceptance to speak at Smith College’s commencement ceremony. The response to her withdrawal was immense. Numerous articles appeared in major media outlets. Many alumnae wrote to the President, Kathleen McCartney, and faculty petitioned against those who had petitioned in support of McCartney and the Trustees. Students who had organized against the choice of having her speak wrote an open letter to McCartney after she emailed the entire College, stating: “I want to underscore this fact: An invitation to speak at a commencement is not an endorsement of all views or policies of an individual or the institution she or he leads. Such a test would preclude virtually anyone in public office or position of influence. Moreover, such a test would seem anathema to our core values of free thought and diversity of opinion. I remain committed to leading a college where differing views can be heard and debated with respect.”
caption: Portrait of Christine Lagarde
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