Bill Gordon, Ken Hammond, Thomas Lough, Papers

May 4 Collection -- Box 21

Finding Aid

Revised by Nancy Birk, October 18, 1994. Updated by Penny White, December 18, 2012.
1 cubic foot. 12th floor.

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Series 1 -- Bill Gordon, Papers

Biographical Sketch (written by Bill Gordon and submitted to the Archives in Nov. 1999)

William A. Gordon, the author of Four Dead in Ohio, is a 1973 graduate of Kent State. He began writing about the events of May 4 in the fall of 1970 while attending UCLA. Later his articles and opinion pieces appeared in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Kent Record-Courier, American Report, and College Press Service. He also freelanced for National Public Radio.

After transferring to Kent, Gordon also worked behind the scenes with Peter Davies, the author of The Truth About Kent State, and the students who petitioned the Justice Department for the federal grand jury investigation. that grand jury resulted in the 1974 indictment and acquittal of eight Ohio National Guardsmen on federal civil rights charges.

Gordon's book was originally published by Prometheus Books in 1990 under the title The Fourth of May: Killings & Coverups at Kent State. After Prometheus allowed the book to go out of print, Gordon secured the rights and in 1995 issued an updated paperback edition under his publishing company with a new title Four Dead in Ohio: Was There a Conspiracy at Kent State?

Now a full-time author and publisher based in Southern California, Gordon has written three other books, including The Quotable Writer (McGraw-Hill, 2000), which he has described as "a thinly disguised professional autobiography."

Scope and Content

This collection consists of some of the articles Gordon donated in the 1970s. Gordon retains possession of his interviews, reporter's notes, and the personal diaries he accumulated during his 19-year-long investigation of the shootings and trials.

1. Articles by Bill Gordon in newspapers: 1970-74. Includes Alabamian (University of Alabama), College Press Service, Daily Kent Stater, Kent Ravenna Record Courier, UCLA Daily Bruin
2. Articles by Bill Gordon in magazines: 1972-73, Includes American Report
3. Report/Paper: "Kent State University's Petition to the White House: Ten Months of Deceit", reprinted in the Congressional Record, Aug. 18, 1972
4. Report/Paper: "Kent State: Three Years Later A Legal Summary": April 20, 1973
5. News clippings
6. Subject file: "The Kent Four"; Granville-Jackson Sculpture

Series 2 -- Ken Hammond, Papers

Biographical Sketch

Ken Hammond was a student and SDS leader at Kent State University in the late 1960s. In the spring of 1970, Ken Hammond was a junior. He spoke at the rally at the Victory Bell on that fateful afternoon of May 4, 1970, and witnessed the events that took place that afternoon. Hammond was named one of the "Kent 25," the group indicted for their involvement with May 4 activities.

Following May 4, 1970, Hammond remained active in May 4 organizations and committees, such as the Kent Liberation Front, the Mayday Coalition, and the Kent Legal Defense Fund. Hammond describes the Kent Liberation Fund as having been "set up in September 1970 to try to counteract the fear and frustration stemming from the shootings May 4th. It functioned while the special grand jury met and during the period following the Kent 25 indictments."

Scope and Content

The materials in this collection are photocopies of items held by Ken Hammond. Of particular interest are the SDS flyers, the materials for the post-1970 period, and Hammond's own recollections. In addition to his papers, Hammond also included notes detailing the purbpose and distinguishing between the groups in which he was involved as well as to contextualize flyers and other papers included in the collection. They were accessioned in October, 1975. Literary and property rights do NOT belong to the University Archives. This collection is associated with the Institute for the Study of Everyday Life.

7. Flyers/Newsletters: Kent Legal Defense Fund: 1971
8. Flyers/Newsletters: Kent Liberation Front: 1970-73
9. Flyers/Newsletters: Mayday Coalition: 1970-71
10. Flyers/Newsletters: Miscellaneous: 1968-73
11. Flyers/Newsletters: SDS, Kent: 1968
12. Flyers/Newsletters: SDS, National: 1969
13. Report/Paper: Recollections, eyewitness accounts: 1970-74
14. Report/Paper: "A Political Analysis of May 1-4 1970 at Kent State: 1970
15. Report/Paper: "Position Paper -- Mayday Coalition": [n.d.]
16. Reply Brief of Appellants: Hammond et al. v. Paul W. Brown, et al.: 1971

Series 3 -- Thomas Lough, Papers

Biographical Sketch

Thomas Lough was an associate professor of Sociology in May 1970. He was a former faculty advisor to SDS, on the steering committee of the Concerned Citizens of the KSU Community (CCC) and the only professor to be named one of the "Kent 25."

Scope and Content

The majority of papers in this collection focus on the BUS-SDS Walkout and the activities of the CCC. The BUS-SDS walkout was a response to the Oakland Police recruiting on campus in November 1968. Various members of BUS and SDS staged a sit-in protesting the Oakland Police (Oakland was the home of the Black Panthers.) When the administration would not agree to demands that protestors go "unpunished" by the university, 250 black students marched off the campus for a week. Papers chronicling this event include newspaper clippings, correspondence, flyers, notes, and other papers.

The Concerned Citizens of the Kent State Community (CCC) was created in 1969 in the aftermath of arrests and suspensions of students breaking into the Music and Speech building and disrupting a private hearing of SDS leaders, and the SDS charter being revoked. The group, made up of a diverse group of faculty and students, focused on issues of due process and the rights and civil liberties of students on campus. The group formulated demands that the charter be reinstated and charges and suspensions be dropped. In its short three week existence, the group sponsored rallies and a referenda. Lough's collection of newspaper clippings, flyers, correspondence, and other papers detail the events and activities of the group.

17. BUS-SDS Walkout subject file: Clippings: 1968
18. BUS-SDS Walkout subject file: Correspondence: 1968
19. BUS-SDS Walkout subject file: Flyers: 1968
20. BUS-SDS Walkout subject file: Lewis, Jerry, draft of "Black Student Walkout: You People": [n.d.]
21. BUS-SDS Walkout subject file: Notes: [n.d.]
22. BUS-SDS Walkout subject file: President's Bulletin
23. Concerned Citizens of KSU Community (C.C.C.) subject file: clippings: 1969
24. Concerned Citizens of KSU Community (C.C.C.) subject file: correspondence: 1969
25. Concerned Citizens of KSU Community (C.C.C.) subject file: flyers: 1969
26. Concerned Citizens of KSU Community (C.C.C.) subject file: FYI and Staff Bulletin: 1969
27. Concerned Citizens of KSU Community (C.C.C.) subject file: Notes: [n.d.]
28. Concerned Citizens of KSU Community (C.C.C.) subject file: ACLU, Portage Area Chapter, Membership List: [n.d.]
29. Concerned Citizens of KSU Community (C.C.C.) subject file: V.P. Student Affairs, Special Bulletin: 1969
30. Concerned Citizens of KSU Community (C.C.C.) subject file: Wenninger, Gene, Correspondence: 1969
31. Protest -- KSU subject file: clippings, 1968-70
32. Miscellaneous flyers and correspondence
33. SDS subject file: 1969
34. Correspondence: Jon Krosnick: 1975
35. The April 18th Coalition, "The Meaning of May 4, Kent State University," [1978?]

Series 4 -- Miscellaneous Materials

36. May 4 Task Force: Clippings, 1975-1976
37. May 4 Task Force: Correspondence, 1975-1976
38. May 4 Task Force: Chronological Summary of the May 4th Court Cases, Flyers, Schedules, 1975-1977
39. May 4 Task Force: Memorial Program Letter, January 1978
40. May 4 Task Force: Songs for May 4th, undated
41. May 4th Task Force: Printed Programs, Handouts, Schedules, 1976-1977
42. May 4th Task Force: "Move The Gym" Armband, undated
43. Doug Moore: Alternative Lifestyles Group Flyer, undated
44. Doug Moore: Kingston Brewster's Speech, May 4, 1971
45. Doug Moore: Contingency Plan, 1971
46. Doug Moore: FYI: Kent State University Internal Communications, August 9, 1970
47. Doug Moore: Glenn W. Frank's Comments, May 4, 1971
48. Doug Moore: Indochina Peace Campaign Flyers, 1974
49. Doug Moore: Kent, July 1970
50. Doug Moore: Kent City Policy Department log sheet, May 2, 1970
51. Doug Moore: Kent Free University Flyer, undated
52. Doug Moore: Kent Gay Liberation Front Flyer, undated
53. Doug Moore: Kent Reform Council Flyers, undated
54. Doug Moore: KSU Position Papers, 1970
55. Doug Moore: May Day Coalition Flyers, 1971; undated
56. Doug Moore: May 4th United Front Flyers, undated
57. Doug Moore: Miscellaneous Articles, 1970
58. Doug Moore: Miscellaneous Flyers, 1971-1972; undated
59. Doug Moore: The Militant, October 2, 1970
60. Doug Moore: News Service Summaries of Campus Meetings, April 1971
61. Doug Moore: News Service News Releases, undated
62. Doug Moore: Official Bulletin, August 18, 1970
63. Doug Moore: P.E.A.C.E. Flyer, undated
64. Doug Moore: Peace Brigade Publications, 1971
65. Doug Moore: Socialist Workers Party Flyer, undated
66. Doug Moore: Student Body President Position Paper on Rockwell Library Parking Lot, undated
67. Doug Moore: Student Mobilization Committee Flyers, undated
68. Doug Moore: Student Senate Flyers, undated
69. Doug Moore: Vietnam Veterans Against the War Flyers, undated
70. Doug Moore: Robert I. White's Comments, May 4, 1971
71. Doug Moore: Young Americans for Freedom - "The Alternative," undated
72. Kent State Due Process of Law Fund, 1975
73. Kent, City: Proclamation of Civil Emergency, Mayor Satrom Letter to Ohio National Guard, May 2, 1970
74. Kent Friends Statements, 1977
75. Urban League: Press Release, May 8, 1970
76. Susan Reis: Miscellaneous, 1970
77. Newsday, October 15, 1973
78. James Gregory Payne: Memorial Forum Flyer, 1975
79. James Gregory Payne: Speech 101 Student Assignments, 1973-1974
80. James Gregory Payne: Speech 101 Student Assignments, 1974
81. James Gregory Payne: "Six Years Ago" Speech, May 3-4, 1976
82. Alan Shearouse: Clippings, 1968-1973
83. Alan Shearouse: Bumper Stickers, Miscellaneous Flyers and Correspondence, 1971-1975
84. Clearing House, October 1971
85. W. C. Johnson: Clippings, Flyers, Correspondence, 1966-1973
86. New York Times Magazine, 1970
87. U.S. Grand Jury, 1974
88. Ezra Stotland and James Martinez: Self-Esteem and Mass Violence at Kent State, December 1973
89. Acorn, undated
90. May 4 Memorial Marker Committee: Donor Thank Yous, Correspondence, Illustration, 1975