Campus Unrest Collections at UB - University Archives - Special Collections

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Campus Unrest Collections at UB

The years from 1964 to 1973 the University at Buffalo saw many student protests on subjects such as the Vietnam War, the ROTC presence on campus, racial bias in athletics, and the Department of Defense research (Themis). During spring semester 1970, the situation between the students, faculty and administration reached a boiling point.

Chronology:

August 11, 1969: President Martin M. Meyerson officially steps down. Peter F. Regan, III takes on the role of Acting President.
February 24, 1970: During a Clark Gym sit-in to protest racial inequalities in the Athletic Department, the administration calls Buffalo police to monitor the campus.
February 25, 1970: Discussions between Black athletes, the Athletic Department, and the administration ended at 7:35 pm with preliminary agreements by the administration to the student demands. A rally had been set for 8:00 pm in Haas Lounge of the Student Union, called by the Black students and organized by the white support groups of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and the Youth Against War and Fascism (YAWF). Black students reported to this rally that negotiations with the administration were going well and called for an end to the evening's rally. The issue of Buffalo Police on campus was raised and 40-50 students made their way to the President's office in Hayes Hall. After a hostile interchange with the President and his staff, students headed back to the Student Union. Rocks were thrown through Regan's office window and other windows in Hayes and Crosby Halls. Regan ordered Campus Police to arrest the window breakers.; Campus Police entered the Student Union about 8:50 pm in pursuit of the window breakers beginning a month long campus crisis. In clearing the Union, police beat and arrested several students. Students fought back with barricades and eventually moved outside continuing to throw rocks, ice, and garbage cans. Buffalo Police came on campus and stood between the two groups. Student numbers swelled to a reported 500. Confrontations ensued with injuries on both sides: rock-throwing and name-calling by students, police hitting and arresting students with the use of mace and dogs.
February 26, 1970: Around mid-day about 1,000 students held a rally in protest of the administration's action to call non-University law enforcement. Protesters marched around campus focusing on the administration building, Hayes Hall, the Campus Security Office, Clark Gym which housed the ROTC office, and the Themis Project site on Bailey Avenue. Protesters destroyed property and confronted Campus Police. The crowd grew to a reported 1,500. Late in the afternoon city and county police appeared on campus and administrators negotiated their departure. About 3,000 students met in Goodyear Hall from 8:00 to 11 pm to develop a strategy and called for a campus strike. A Student Strike Committee was formed. Around mid-night a series of Molotov cocktails exploded in Lockwood Library (now Abbott Hall, the Health Sciences Library) destroying several hundred books. Other fires occurred on campus.
February 27, 1970: Student strike began - main issues were the self-determination of the Colleges, Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), military linked research (Themis Project), removal of the University president and the police on campus, open admissions for Third World Youth, and demands of Black athletes for equality. Class attendance dropped 30-40 percent. State Supreme Court Justice Marshall issued an injunction against demonstrators.
February 28, 1970: A University-wide convocation to discuss the recent turmoil was attended by over 4,000 in Clark Gym and turned into a strike solidarity meeting.
March 1, 1970: Acting President, Peter F. Regan appeared on local television to deliver an address on the campus situation. Instead of speaking about the demands of the students, he concentrated on the property that was damaged during the protests calling the perpetrators "vicious vandals."
March 2, 1970: Regan calls for a one-day postponement of classes to ease tensions.
March 5, 1970: Twenty UB students are suspended.
March 8, 1970: The Buffalo police set up temporary headquarters on campus and began regular patrols.
March 10, 1970: Regan rescinded the suspensions of the 20 students. That afternoon a pig was roasted in effigy in the presence of police in front of the Student Union (now Squire Hall).
March 11, 1970: At a special session held at War Memorial Stadium, the UB Faculty Senate condemned the calling of police and demanded their removal.
March 12, 1970: A four hour battle between student demonstrators and police ended in several arrests, injuries and property damage.
March 15, 1970: Forty-five members of the faculty were arrested after holding a sit-in in Acting President Regan's office to express their extreme concern with the police presence on campus.
March 16, 1970: Demonstrations were held demanding the release of the "Faculty 45." In support, the record, "Hayes Hall Blues" was produced by Vizzy Goth and his Vicious Vandals.
March 17, 1970: The Acting President finally asked police to leave the campus. The 'University Survival Group' announced its existence at a press conference and the Faculty Senate passed a motion of 'no confidence' in campus administration.
March 21, 1970: Spring break began.
April 14, 1970: Acting President Peter Regan resigned effective August 31, 1970.
April 17, 1970: Faculty 45 found guilty by State Supreme Court Judge Hamilton Ward and sentenced to 30 days in jail.
May 5-7, 1970: Student protests against the war in Vietnam and the bombing of Cambodia continued across the country inflamed by the killing of four students at Kent State on May 4th.; UB students held several protests on campus and down Main Street; tear gassed by police.
May 7, 1970: Acting President Regan announced no academic penalty for students choosing to leave campus for the semester.; Late in the evening Buffalo police reportedly opened fire with BB-sized no. 9 birdshot into crowds of demonstrators. Police lobbed tear gas and pepper gas grenades into the student union, three other campus buildings, and into crowds outside. Riots ensued and many students were injured or arrested.
June 30, 1970: Acting President Peter Regan stepped down. Dr. Robert Ketter, Dean of the Graduate School, elected President of the University by the Board of Trustees earlier in the month, assumed office the next day.
September 16, 1970: Buffalo police declared to have used birdshot on May 7th by Law Students Concerned for Peace and the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.

See also, "The Stormy Spring" in UB Today (Winter 2005) for a retrospective on the Spring of 1970 events. An extended chronology can be found in Box 1 of 3/5/897, Campus Unrest: Research conducted by Dean G. Pruitt and James Gahagan, Social Psychology Department, 1967-1972, 1975.