10 days of unrest: The 1970 Ohio University protests and closure
The stinging smell of tear gas still lingered in the air early Friday morning as Ohio University students woke to the news that their university would be closed for the remainder of the spring quarter. Ten consecutive days of increasingly violent student protests had resulted in multiple clashes with police and riddled the campus with destruction. With little indication that peace would return, University President Claude R. Sowle officially announced that Ohio U would be immediately closed on May 15, 1970.
Activism has been ingrained in the history of Ohio U with students participating in protests decades before those in 1970. However, earlier protests were traditionally peaceful, allowing students to express their opinions to the university on important issues. Throughout the 1970 school year, tensions on campus escalated dramatically as student protests became more frequent. By mid-April, the growing unrest among students was impossible to ignore, largely fueled by the United States’ prolonged involvement in the proxy Vietnam War. As the war dragged on, the anti-war sentiment grew, especially in the minds of college students.
On Apr. 30, President Richard Nixon announced that American ground combat troops had entered Cambodia to obstruct North Vietnamese attacks. The deployment of U.S. troops into yet another foreign nation generated deep and widespread concern. For many, this action confirmed their fears that the war was not winding down, but expanding, and believed that Nixon was prolonging the Vietnam conflict. His decision further radicalized student activists and demonstrations intensified at college campuses in protest to the escalation of an already unpopular war.
As protests escalated, tensions between students and authorities grew increasingly volatile. On May 4, 1970, National Guardsmen opened fire at a crowd protesting at Kent State University, killing four students and injuring nine. The tragedy brought a new intensity to the anti-war movement and sparked outrage over the senseless killings of students.
In Athens, a rally began that same day on College Green where a crowd of 3,000 students discussed the war situation and the recent massacre at Kent State. Sowle even made an appearance at two rallies on May 5 where he answered questions and urged students to not resort to violent demonstrations.
When asked about Sowle’s decision to allow student protests to continue, Dr. Don Fucci, an associate professor in the Hearing and Speech Sciences at the time, said, “Sowle thought that by being a part of their group, he could soften things. And I think he did. By doing what he did, he helped them have an arena, have a stage and yet not let things get out of control.”
Soon after the tragedy at Kent State, many universities closed across the state of Ohio out of fear of a similar outcome to student protests. Ohio Governor James Rhodes recommended that all state universities experiencing student unrest close immediately. However, Sowle refused to close Ohio U. As a result, Rhodes denied the school access to the Ohio National Guard and Ohio State Highway Patrol so long as the university was open.
Over the next seven days, protests erupted on Ohio U’s campus. Initially, students supported Sowle’s pleas for nonviolence and participated in peaceful rallies and demonstrations. Students picketed classrooms and administrative buildings asking for support for a student strike. They later moved to local businesses and demanded they close in support of the strike.
However, on May 7, two fire bombs were thrown through the windows of the ROTC Supply Room in Peden Stadium, destroying an estimated $4,000 in equipment. This was the first act of violence on campus, and it was only the beginning of what would become a riot at Ohio U.
Later that night, nearly 400 students blocked the intersection of Court and Union Streets. The university’s calls for assistance were refused by the Highway Patrol, and local police along with student and faculty marshals assisted in keeping the crowd peaceful before they dispersed around 1 a.m. Nonetheless, the university remained open. In a statement to Sowle, Charles Randall, a professor in the Physics department at the time, said, “[My] physics students want an education, not a confrontation, and informal conversation outside of the classroom revealed no one who sympathized with the campus strike and they were appalled by the irrational, irresponsible violence.”
The next several days remained relatively calm amidst the tensions with peaceful demonstrations and classes continuing as usual. However, on May 11, radical action returned to campus with the occupation of the vacant Chubb Library, which was awaiting renovations. A crowd of 100 students broke into the building, declaring it a free university despite warnings that they were in defiance of university regulations. It was reported that a brick had been thrown through a window in Chubb Library and another had been kicked in. The same night, a fire was reported to have been set in Nelson Commons and in an unfinished dorm on New South Green between 1:30 and 1:45 a.m. The damages for the two buildings were estimated at over $120,000.
All throughout the day on May 12, multiple bomb threats and false fire reports were reported and, while none were confirmed to be true, it reinforced the beliefs that the university should be closed. The same day, Sowle suspended seven students for their participation in the violent protests, concluding that their continued presence on campus constituted clear and immediate danger to the orderly function of the university community.
With the threat of fires and increasingly violent student protests, faculty members organized voluntary student marshals to protect university buildings in an attempt to prevent further destruction amid the growing unrest. Their presence was meant to act as a buffer between protesters and law enforcement, as well as to discourage vandalism of campus property.
Don E. Hall was a doctoral student at Ohio U at the time in Hearing and Speech Sciences, and he volunteered to be a student marshal to protect important research materials. His wife, Shirley, recalled that “Don and his buddies at the old Hearing and Speech Center took turns with nightly fire guard duty to protect their irreplaceable research. Other PhD researchers stored their research overnight in the freezer of their refrigerator at home.” She later added that these future professors had no time for protests.
The following day, tensions were dangerously high primarily because of the previous day’s events and suspensions. Groups of students conducted a rally at Baker Center at 7:30 p.m., marching through the greens while they urged others to join. Bricks were thrown through the windows of Cutler Hall before the crowd moved towards Alumni Gateway where they were stopped by local policemen. After midnight, the protesters began throwing rocks and pieces of bricks at the police and breaking nearby storefront windows. The police retaliated by using tear gas to move students away from city buildings and dispersed the crowds.
On May 14, the tensions and violence that had been occurring on campus for the past ten days reached its tipping point. At around 9:30 p.m., a crowd of student protestors gathered and moved towards Alumni Gateway where they proceeded to break store windows.
This prompted the police to use tear gas to disperse the crowd, but, over the next three hours, the angry protestors swarmed over College Green, breaking windows in many of the buildings.
While local policemen and volunteer marshalls attempted to control the crowd, the protestors continued in their riot. Howard Hall and Baker Center were both evacuated because of the tear gas, and multiple small fires were set throughout campus.
Throughout the riot, university officials requested assistance from the State Highway Patrol, but the aid was refused. The Ohio National Guard was set to arrive at 6 a.m. on May 15 in response to the university’s inability to control the rampaging students; the Athens police force and Ohio U’s security office were seriously outnumbered. On May 15, at 3 a.m., Sowle announced that the university would be closed, effective immediately and all students were directed to leave campus as quickly as possible.
In a statement that morning, Sowle said, “It is sad, indeed, that this inspiring period in the history of this university must end in such an unfortunate way. The result, however, in no way detracts from the magnificent efforts of the great majority of our faculty, students, and staff to keep the university open. We tried, but we failed.”
Over the next several days, the National Guard continued to patrol the campus after the closure to ensure students vacated the premises. Their presence on campus was controversial; many people still harbored anti-war resentments but recognized their need to restore order on campus.
55 years later, periodicals librarian Shirley Hall still remembers walking across the smokey campus to her job at Alden Library. “The university requested all personnel – faculty, staff and all workers – to report to work as usual the day after the school closed,” Hall said. “It was a lovely spring day, however, the National Guardsmen stood on duty at street corners with their bayonets poised. The smell of pepper gas still lingered in the air; it burned my eyes and my nose was stuffy. Tears flowed down my cheeks while I walked across campus to work.”
These events serve as a powerful reminder of the tension between protest movements and institutional authority, a dynamic that remains relevant today. From Black Lives Matter to demonstrations against wars and climate inaction, students continue to be at the forefront of political and social change.
Even after all this time, the legacy of the 1970 student protests can be seen in every march, chant and act of defiance as young activists at Ohio U continue to mobilize, demand accountability and challenge the status quo in the relentless pursuit of justice.
This article was published as part of TNP’s Spring 2025 Print edition.