Sherrill Redmon is an American feminist scholar and archivist best known for two things: her twelve-year marriage to Mitch McConnell and her nineteen-year career leading the Sophia Smith Collection at Smith College. Born February 6, 1943, in Louisville, Kentucky, she earned a Ph.D. in American History from the University of Kentucky in 1974. She married McConnell in 1968 and divorced him in 1980. 

After the divorce, she moved to Massachusetts and became director of the Sophia Smith Collection in 1993, a position she held until 2012. She worked alongside Gloria Steinem on the Voices of Feminism oral history project. Redmon is reportedly worth around $2 million and remains alive today, living quietly in Whately, Massachusetts.

Who Is Sherrill Redmon? Quick Bio & Profile Summary

Sherrill Lynn Redmon was born on February 6, 1943, in Louisville, Kentucky. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Louisville and a Ph.D. in American History from the University of Kentucky. She spent her career as a feminist scholar and archivist, most notably as director of the Sophia Smith Collection at Smith College.

Early Life, Family Background & Education

Sherrill Redmon grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, in a household shaped by politics. Her parents, Charles and Doris Redmon, raised her alongside three siblings: Walter, David, and Lee Ann. That environment gave her early exposure to civic engagement and social justice, ideas that later shaped her academic path.

She attended Seneca High School before enrolling at the University of Louisville, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree. She then moved to the University of Kentucky for a Doctor of Philosophy program in American History, completing her Ph.D. in 1974. Her doctoral work focused on documenting underrepresented voices in historical narratives, a theme she carried into her later career.

Meeting & Marriage to Mitch McConnell (1962 to 1968)

Redmon met Mitch McConnell in 1962 while both attended the University of Louisville. They began dating about six months later. Despite their differing political views, the relationship grew into a serious partnership during their college years.

The two married in 1968 while still in their twenties. Their union combined McConnell’s early political ambitions with Redmon’s own academic path, and the couple balanced public life with private commitments from the very beginning.

Life as Mitch McConnell’s Wife: Family, Career Support & Early Struggles

Redmon and McConnell had three daughters: Elly, born in 1972; Claire, born in 1976; and Porter, born in 1979. During these years, Redmon managed the household while pursuing her own academic goals, a balance that grew more difficult as McConnell’s political career expanded. Their marriage lasted twelve years before ending in 1980.

Supporting McConnell’s 1977 County Judge Campaign

In 1977, McConnell ran for Jefferson County Executive Judge. Redmon cared for their home and children through his ten-month campaign. She later spoke about this period during a 2017 interview at the University of Houston, part of the National Women’s Conference oral history project on 1977. She described her support for McConnell during this time as ironic, given how far their political views would later diverge.

Archival Work, Graduate Studies & Colleague Accounts

While finishing her doctoral studies, Redmon briefly worked as an adjunct professor but found the pay too low and the workload too heavy. She shifted to archival work at the University of Louisville Archives and Records Center as a graduate assistant. Author Patti Liszkay, who worked alongside her there in the late 1970s, described Redmon as sincere, intense, and purpose-driven, but also sweet, kind, and maternal.

Divorce and Reinvention

Redmon and McConnell divorced in 1980 after twelve years of marriage. Rather than remain defined by that chapter, Redmon relocated to Massachusetts and rebuilt her career from the ground up. She carried her University of Kentucky doctorate and her archival experience from Kentucky into a completely new chapter of feminist scholarship and activism.

Career as Director of the Sophia Smith Collection at Smith College

In 1993, Redmon became director of the Sophia Smith Collection at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. She led the archive for nineteen years, transforming it into an internationally recognized repository of manuscripts, photographs, periodicals, and primary sources documenting women’s history. She retired from the role on August 31, 2012.

Expanding & Diversifying the Archives

Redmon took an active approach to collecting rather than waiting for donations to arrive. She pursued materials from grassroots activists whose papers might otherwise be overlooked. The Sophia Smith Collection secured over $1 million in support from the Ford Foundation specifically to broaden the archive. 

Redmon focused on filling historical gaps left by a collection once dominated by white women’s records, adding materials from women of color, working-class women, political radicals, and lesbian and bisexual women.

Collaboration with Gloria Steinem & the Voices of Feminism Project

Redmon created the Voices of Feminism project, an oral history initiative documenting the modern women’s movement. She worked closely with Gloria Steinem, a Smith College graduate, to interview labor activists, peace activists, anti-racism organizers, and reproductive justice leaders. In 2013, Smith College held a celebration honoring Redmon’s contributions, with Steinem delivering the keynote address.

What Is the Sophia Smith Collection?

The Sophia Smith Collection is one of the largest archives in the country focused entirely on women’s history. It holds manuscripts, photographs, periodicals, and primary source materials used by researchers, historians, and students studying feminist movements across social, political, and cultural spheres. Under Redmon, it grew from a narrower archive into a broad, internationally recognized resource.

Personal Philosophy, Values & Character

Redmon built her career around gender equality, historical memory, and intellectual rigor. She favored a quiet, measured approach to activism over public performance, choosing substance over spectacle throughout her time at Smith College.

Feminist Legacy & Impact on Women’s History

Redmon’s work reshaped how women’s contributions are documented and studied. Her archival efforts created lasting resources for scholars researching diverse perspectives in American feminism, and her influence extended well beyond her own research into the next generation of activists.

Raising Feminist Daughters & Impact on the Next Generation

Redmon’s approach to motherhood combined care with a push toward independence. Her daughter Porter McConnell became an activist known for advocacy work, carrying forward her mother’s commitment to social change and equality.

Political Contrast with Ex-Husband Mitch McConnell

Redmon’s progressive values stood in sharp contrast to McConnell’s increasingly conservative political career. In a 2020 email published by The New Yorker, Gloria Steinem wrote about the pain of watching someone she once knew shift from a political ally into what she called a corrupt and authoritarian figure. Redmon rarely discussed this divide publicly, focusing instead on her own work in gender and racial equality.

Take On Wall Street Campaign & Continued Activism

Redmon has been connected to the Take On Wall Street campaign, a coalition of over 20 labor unions and activist groups pushing for reform in the financial industry and greater accountability for banks and billionaires. Her daughter Porter McConnell has served as campaign director for the closely related Take on Wall Street coalition, continuing the family’s activist tradition.

Is Sherrill Redmon Still Alive? Current Life & Whereabouts

Yes, Sherrill Redmon is alive. Reports of her death that circulated online are false. She lives quietly in Whately, in Franklin County, Massachusetts, with her two cats, Nick and Nell. She keeps a low public profile and avoids interviews, though she has reportedly stayed involved in charitable causes for people and animals.

Net Worth & Financial Standing

Sherrill Redmon’s net worth is reportedly around $2 million. That figure comes primarily from her decades-long academic career rather than any divorce settlement from McConnell. Her financial standing reflects a career built on archival leadership and scholarship rather than public wealth.

Public Image, Media Portrayal & Challenges

Media coverage of Redmon generally focuses on her scholarship rather than personal controversy. She has spent decades being introduced primarily as Mitch McConnell’s first wife, a framing she has worked to move past through her own record of academic and archival achievement.

Family Today: Children, Grandchildren & Relationship with McConnell

Redmon’s three daughters, Elly, Claire, and Porter, each built their own paths after their parents’ divorce. McConnell remarried in 1993, this time to Elaine Chao, who served as Secretary of Labor under President George W. Bush and later as Secretary of Transportation. McConnell has remained close to his three daughters despite the political distance that grew between him and Redmon.

Quick Facts About Sherrill Redmon

• She is not active on social media.
• She was once falsely rumored to be deceased.
• She led the Sophia Smith Collection, an international repository of women’s history materials, for nineteen years.
• Photos of her occasionally circulate on Facebook under her name.

Conclusion

Sherrill Redmon’s life moved from a twelve-year marriage to Mitch McConnell into a decades-long career preserving women’s history. Her leadership of the Sophia Smith Collection, her partnership with Gloria Steinem, and her work expanding archives to reflect diverse voices define her legacy far more than her connection to a political spouse. Today, she lives a private life in Massachusetts, remembered as a scholar who built something lasting on her own terms.

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FAQs

Is Sherrill Redmon still alive?

Yes, Sherrill Redmon is alive. She lives in Whately, Massachusetts, with her two cats, Nick and Nell, and reports of her death are false.

What is Sherrill Redmon’s net worth?

Sherrill Redmon’s net worth is reportedly around $2 million, built mainly through her academic career at the Sophia Smith Collection rather than a divorce settlement.

How old is Sherrill Redmon?

Sherrill Redmon was born on February 6, 1943, in Louisville, Kentucky, making her 83 years old in 2026.

Who are Sherrill Redmon and Mitch McConnell’s children?

They have three daughters together: Elly, born in 1972; Claire, born in 1976; and Porter, born in 1979.

How long was Mitch McConnell married to Sherrill Redmon?

McConnell and Redmon married in 1968 after meeting at the University of Louisville in 1962, and they divorced in 1980 after twelve years of marriage.

Who is Mitch McConnell’s wife now?

McConnell married Elaine Chao in 1993. She later served as Secretary of Labor and then Secretary of Transportation.

What is the Sophia Smith Collection?

The Sophia Smith Collection is an internationally recognized archive at Smith College holding manuscripts, photographs, and primary sources documenting women’s history.

Did Sherrill Redmon work with Gloria Steinem?

Yes, Redmon collaborated with Gloria Steinem on the Voices of Feminism oral history project, and Steinem gave the keynote address at a 2013 event honoring Redmon.