Kathy Rodgers ’70 practiced law in New York City for many years, specializing in labor law litigation for major corporations. From there she went to Barnard, where she was the college's first general counsel and vice president for student affairs until serving as acting president in 1993-4. After Barnard, Kathy was president of Legal Momentum (then NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund), the oldest national legal advocacy organization for the rights of women and girls. In 2008, Kathy moved to New Jersey to “semi-retire." There she continued to practice higher education law while increasingly getting involved in the business of selling used and rare books. Ultimately, she became a full-time, co-owner of a brick-and-mortar used and rare bookshop until 2020. She is now fully “retired."
Kathy frequented Lyman Plant House throughout college, never fails to visit it when back on campus, and has been a Friend of the Botanic Garden of Smith College for some years. Today, her commitment to the botanic garden includes an appreciation not only for its beauty, but also for the many educational, research and vocational opportunities the garden's staff offers to students, faculty and community members–even to those who, like Kathy, are not botanists or landscape architects.
Kathy views the Botanic Garden of Smith College as a national treasure, and is honored to serve on the Friends Leadership Council.
