Graham Frankel Smith ’02: The Speaking Tradition Fosters Connection The mayor of Mountain Brook, Alabama, reflected on the importance of the Speaking Tradition in creating community in a recent blog.
Since graduating with a major in journalism and mass communications from Washington and Lee University, Graham Frankel Smith ’02 received her MBA from the University of Alabama, worked in the University of Alabama’s Office of Advancement and served as legislative director for former U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby from Alabama. She became involved in the community of Mountain Brook, Alabama, and served on the Mountain Brook City Council, was past president of the Jefferson County City Councilor’s Coalition and was a member of the Leadership Birmingham Class of 2025. She is married to Ralph Smith ’01, and the couple share two children, Cohen and Patton Smith.
In November 2025, she took office as the first female mayor of Mountain Brook. This month, she wrote a “Mayor’s Minute” blog for the Village Living newspaper, in which she reflected on the lessons of the Speaking Tradition and ways the Mountain Brook community can incorporate the W&L tradition. (Photo courtesy of Mary Fehr)
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From my first day of matriculation at Washington and Lee University, one expectation was made immediately and unmistakably clear: You speak. You greet one another. You acknowledge the humanity of the person passing you on the Colonnade or along your campus path. A nod of the head, a “good morning,” a quick “hey.” It was neither optional nor performative. It was an imperative.
At first, it felt awkward. Like many teenagers arriving on campus, I wondered whether such intentional friendliness was forced or artificial. But something remarkable happened over time. Initial discomfort became habit, and what became habit slowly transformed into something deeper: a genuine sense of belonging. The simple act of speaking created connection, and connection created community.
The Washington and Lee Speaking Tradition dates back well over a century. It’s rooted in the belief that every person is worthy of acknowledgement and respect. It reflects a profound truth: Community is not built only through grand gestures but through the smallest, most consistent acts of recognition. A greeting says, “I see you. You matter.” In a world in which people so often rush past one another with eyes down and headphones in, that message carries extraordinary weight.
The need for human connection has never been greater. Face-to-face interaction, however brief, anchors us. It reminds us that we are not alone.
Read Smith’s full blog on Village Living.
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