Linda Smith started her life of activism in the 1960s when she became involved with the Anti-War Movement while she was in college at Bucknell University. She graduated with a degree in Chemistry in 1969 and then went to the University of Connecticut. There she co-founded the Women’s Radio Collective at WHUS-FM, the university radio station and she worked there in various capacities, including station manager until 1981. She graduated from UConn with a degree in Pharmacy in 1977. In 1981 she moved to Warren, Massachusetts where she became a spokesperson for STOP IT, an environmental organization that opposed a proposal to build the largest hazardous waste incineration facility in North America in the town of Warren. Her background in chemistry and pharmacy helped her to understand both the chemical and the health implications of such a facility. She worked closely with Lois Gibbs, best known for her work in Love Canal, during this period. As a result of this work, she was elected to the Board of Health and served for three years in that capacity. In 1985 she moved to Hagerstown, MD where she became involved in Washington County NOW. She is President of the chapter. She also started a NOW Club at Hagerstown Community College. In 1988 she became a member of the Board of Directors of Women at the Table, an organization dedicated to helping women run for elected and appointed office in Washington County. For the past 5 years she has served as a member of the Friends of the Doleman Black Heritage Museum, working to raise funds to build a black heritage museum in downtown Hagerstown, MD. In 2012 Linda started lobbying with United for Equality, LLC (U4E), a social enterprise with the sole purpose of ratifying the ERA to the Constitution by 2015. On March 22, 2012, to mark the 40th anniversary of when ERA was ratified by Congress and sent out to the states, Senator Ben Cardin of MD introduced the Senate Joint Resolution S.J. Res. 39. It was a historical victory as the Senate had never before recognized an alternative to the ERA starting all over again. In May 2013 Linda became the Maryland coordinator of U4E and has been working on removing the deadline for ratification of the ERA ever since. In 2015 Linda joined the PDA 3-state strategy group and is now involved in ERA Action, the only organization in the ERA Coalition dedicated to the 3-state strategy for passing the ERA.
Linda Smith started her life of activism in the 1960s when she became involved with the Anti-War Movement while she was in college at Bucknell University. She graduated with a degree in Chemistry in 1969 and then went to the University of Connecticut. There she co-founded the Women’s Radio Collective at WHUS-FM, the university radio station and she worked there in various capacities, including station manager until 1981. She graduated from UConn with a degree in Pharmacy in 1977. In 1981 she moved to Warren, Massachusetts where she became a spokesperson for STOP IT, an environmental organization that opposed a proposal to build the largest hazardous waste incineration facility in North America in the town of Warren. Her background in chemistry and pharmacy helped her to understand both the chemical and the health implications of such a facility. She worked closely with Lois Gibbs, best known for her work in Love Canal, during this period. As a result of this work, she was elected to the Board of Health and served for three years in that capacity. In 1985 she moved to Hagerstown, MD where she became involved in Washington County NOW. She is President of the chapter. She also started a NOW Club at Hagerstown Community College. In 1988 she became a member of the Board of Directors of Women at the Table, an organization dedicated to helping women run for elected and appointed office in Washington County. For the past 5 years she has served as a member of the Friends of the Doleman Black Heritage Museum, working to raise funds to build a black heritage museum in downtown Hagerstown, MD. In 2012 Linda started lobbying with United for Equality, LLC (U4E), a social enterprise with the sole purpose of ratifying the ERA to the Constitution by 2015. On March 22, 2012, to mark the 40th anniversary of when ERA was ratified by Congress and sent out to the states, Senator Ben Cardin of MD introduced the Senate Joint Resolution S.J. Res. 39. It was a historical victory as the Senate had never before recognized an alternative to the ERA starting all over again. In May 2013 Linda became the Maryland coordinator of U4E and has been working on removing the deadline for ratification of the ERA ever since. In 2015 Linda joined the PDA 3-state strategy group and is now involved in ERA Action, the only organization in the ERA Coalition dedicated to the 3-state strategy for passing the ERA.
