May 4 Collection

Annotated Digital Bibliography

NEWS SOURCES
1970

New York Times.Friends of Kent State Victims Say They Were Not Radicals. (May 5, 1970).
Includes information on the students who were slain and what they were doing on the day of the shootings. Includes statements from their friends and acquaintances.

Kifner, John. 4 Kent State students killed by troops. New York Times (May 5, 1970).
Recounts the May 4, 1970 events and reactions. Includes statments from President Nixon about the shootings and Frederick P. Wenger, Assistant Adjuctant General.

The nation at war with war. Time (May 18, 1970).
Extensive article that discusses Nixon's handling of the Vietnam War. It also covers a variety of student protests and rallies after the shootings. The second half of the article recounts the events at Kent State with obituaries of the four students and National Guard statements.

After 1995

Daniel, Lisa. Kent State changed forever the way the National Guard responds to civil unrest. National Guard Magazine
Includes an interview with Mike Howley, a 4-year member of the National Guard in 1970. Explains what changes the National Guard have made to prevent the same thing from happening again when responding to unrest. This new approach includes better coordination with law inforcement, use of rubber bullets, and annual civil disturbance training. Recent riots from 1992 and 1999 are mentioned to emphasize their new approach.
Dissell, Rachel. The right to be afraid. The Burr (May 2000).
An interview with former Ohio National Guard Lt. Col. Charles Fassinger, gives the National Guard's point of view about the events on May 4th.

Holstein, Ellen. My son was killed thirty years ago at Kent State. The Progressive (April 27, 2000).
Mother of slain student Jeffrey Miller gives her view about his death, his beliefs and their last phone conversation the morning of May 4, 1970.

Kent 25.The Burr (May 2000).
Interviews with 15 of the original Kent 25, students who were indicted for the events of early May, 1970.

Kosnac, Erin. Three decades of rememberance at Kent State. The Burr (May 2000).
Includes an interview with Dr. Jerry M. Lewis and others about what their experiences have been taking part in the annual observances.

Kosnac, Erin and and Melissa Hostetler. Then I was shot. The Burr (May 2000).
Contains interviews with all nine surviving students who were shot. They talk about May 4, 1970 and how it has affected their lives.

Lang, John. The day the Vietnam War came home. Scripps Howard News service (April 30, 2000).
Written for the 30 year commemoration, recounts events of May 4, 1970 and the aftermath. Highlights events that took place for the 30th anniversary. Mentions measures the National Guard have implemented since the shootings. Includes statements from Dr. Jerry M. Lewis, Alan Canfora, Laura Davis and former Governor Rhodes.

Miller, Karalee. May 4 tragedy recalled. Akron Beacon Journal (May 5, 2003).
Coverage of the guest where the speaker was Jackson State President Ronald Mason Jr. Includes interviews from those particpating in the memorial observance.

Moores, Lew. Preserving the memory of a tragedy. Cincinnati Enquirer (May 4, 2000).
Briefly recounts the events of May 4, 1970 and commemoration on May 4, 2000. Contains information about Bill Schroeder, including statements by Lou Cusella, his roommate at the time. Also includes brief statements by Laura Davis and Dr. Jerry M. Lewis, witnesses to the shootings.

Tuchman, Gary. (national correspondent) Kent State shootings remembered. CNN

AUDIO/VISUAL

The 13 seconds that ended flower power A BBC interview conducted by Nigel Wrench (May 4, 2002). The reporter visited Kent State to observe the annual commemoration on May 4th, includes an interview with Alan Canfora.
Listen to the award-winning WKSU documentary Remembering Kent State, 1970 by Mark Urycki.
Produced for the 30th anniversary this hour-long documentary brings together sounds from May 4, 1970 and interviews by those who were present.

Baruch Colleges Archives City University of New York (CUNY). n.d.
Provides information about the Memorial Service held May 6, 1970 for the slain students. Includes information about the service including local sources, audio excerpts and related images.

Bitter Passage: Kent State and the fall of Saigon The Digital Journalist n.d.
Contains video clips (from Platypus Workshop at Kent State), audio clips (Howard Ruffner and 3 oral histories from Kent State), observances (Marianne Fulton) and photographs (Howard Ruffner and John Filo). Includes photographs, video and text about the Vietnam War too.

SOURCES FROM MAY 4 COLLECTION IN SPECIAL COLLECTIONS AND ARCHIVES

Ayers, Chuck. Photographs. Box 189 in May 4 Collection.
Collection has 54 black and white photographs taken on the KSU campus between May 1-4, 1970. One example from this collection is Throwing back a tear gas canister, 5/4~12:10pm. Images include student speakers, protesters, National Guard personnel and a variety of campus locations. All captions are provided by Ayers.

Lyke, Linda. Papers. Box 61 in May 4 Collection. Letters and telegrams
Sent from people in the U.S. and around the world in response to the shootings.

Ruffner, Howard. Papers and Photographs. Box 190 in May 4 Collection.
The black and white photographs appeared in the 1971 Chestnut Burr, most include the events on and leading up to May 4, 1970, along with other subjects. He agreed to provide photographs to Life Magazine on May 4, 1970 and one of his photos was used on the cover of the May 15, 1970 magazine. An example from this collection is Circle of students with linked hands surrounding injured person, May 4, 1970, page 51 from 1971 Chestnut Burr. Captions created by the Special Collections and Archives staff.

Smith, Frank. Photographs. Box 184 in May 4 Collection.
The photographs were taken on the KSU campus and around the city of Kent during the events of associated with May 4, 1970. Images include the burned ROTC building, the National Guard on campus, the Pagoda, Victory Bell and Don Drumm sculpture.

Solonitz, Ralph. Papers and Artifacts. Box 73 in May 4 Collection. Photo of National Guard examining bullet hole in Don Drumm sculpture.
Solonitz was a KSU student from 1968-1970 and was present during the shootings. Included in his collection are many color photographs, with captions he provided.

MISCELLANEOUS SOURCES

Behind The Music: Music in America: 1970, Music Studio Lesson Plan
Geared toward music teachers, this can be useful for all teachers to show how music was influenced by the Vietnam War. Provides objectives, materials (incl. suggested social protest songs)and gives procedures for using their Cable in the Classroom video which includes the Kent State shootings and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young's song "Ohio."

Jackson State College located in Jackson, Mississippi.
Experienced a similar tragedy May 14-15, 1970. The Tragedy at Jackson State Recounts the events of that began the evening of May 14, 1970, which left two students dead and twelve injured. (Hint: Scroll down page for link to online exhibit on the Jackson State shootings.)

Kukuk, Christina Hange. Jackson State: More than a footnote to Kent State The Burr (May 2000).
Includes an interview with Demetrius D. Gibbs, son of Phillip Layfayette Gibbs, who graduated Jackson State in 1995. Includes backgound information about the racial tensions that led up to the events of May 14-15, 1970.