Smith College Relief Unit

[1] In 1916, on a return trip from Greece, Harriet Boyd Hawes, Smith College Class of 1892, witnessed the destitute state in which France found itself.

Once she returned to the United States, she already had a plan to bring together a group of Smith alumnae to travel to northern France and aid the American Fund for French Wounded (AFFW) in their reconstruction project.

The goals when founding the Relief Unit were twofold: to aid France in reconstruction after German occupation, and to create a tradition of humanitarian work done by women's colleges in general and Smith in particular.

From September 1917 until March 1918 the Smith College Relief Unit was based in Grécourt, France in Chateau de Robecourt.

During their time in Grécourt, they built a library, a school, and a hospital, planted fruit trees, vegetables, and wheat, sold household goods at subsidized prices, and provided medical services.