Remembering the May 4, 1970, shootings at Kent State University

Akron Beacon Journal
·8 min read
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Most people know violent student protests at Kent State University in 1970 led to the Ohio National Guard being called to campus where they fired on students for 13 seconds.

There’s much more to the story.

Below you will find the Beacon Journal’s coverage of the 50th anniversary of the Ohio National Guard shooting deaths of Kent State students on May 4, 1970.

Photos: Remembering the May 4, 1970, shootings at Kent State University

The coverage vividly retells the story of what happened and how it continues to impact life today.

The following seven-part series relives the days leading up to the May 4, 1970, shootings at Kent State University, through the lives of some of those most affected.

What happened in 1970?

William Schroeder’s parents, Florence and Louis, file past the plaque bearing their son’s name near the new May 4 Memorial at Kent State, May 4, 1990.
William Schroeder’s parents, Florence and Louis, file past the plaque bearing their son’s name near the new May 4 Memorial at Kent State, May 4, 1990.

Part 1: April 29

William Schroeder told a Kent State classmate he was 'scared' of the unrest. Two days later, he was dead.

During his senior year in high school, Bill Schroeder applied for, and received, a full four-year Army ROTC scholarship. He had never been a protester during the long, contentious years of the Vietnam War. On May 3, he called his parents to reassure them he wasn't participating in any of the unrest, and that he was upset that demonstrators had burned the ROTC building. On May 4, he was shot and killed by the National Guard. Read the story.

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Sandra Ferdinand of Canal Fulton took part May 3, 1984, in the candlelight vigil to commemorate the Kent State University shootings. She is standing in the spot where Sandra Scheuer was shot May 4, 1970, in the Prentice Hall parking lot.
Sandra Ferdinand of Canal Fulton took part May 3, 1984, in the candlelight vigil to commemorate the Kent State University shootings. She is standing in the spot where Sandra Scheuer was shot May 4, 1970, in the Prentice Hall parking lot.

Part 2: April 30

Sandy Scheuer studied to help stroke victims find their voices. The Kent State shootings took hers

Sandy Scheuer thought it was senseless to send young men to die on the other side of the world. But she mostly kept those thoughts to herself. She declined invitations from friends to participate in or watch demonstrations or marches on campus. No, her whole life was about finding the positive. She loved to laugh, her thick, black hair bouncing with the effort. She loved to make others laugh, too, often breaking out into goofy actions. Read the story.

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A bonfire burns in the middle of S. Water Street as “rioters” in downtown Kent vandalized businesses as they shouted “Down with Nixon” on Friday, May 1 and into the early hours of May 2, 1970. Police used tear gas to disperse the crowds around 3 a.m.
A bonfire burns in the middle of S. Water Street as “rioters” in downtown Kent vandalized businesses as they shouted “Down with Nixon” on Friday, May 1 and into the early hours of May 2, 1970. Police used tear gas to disperse the crowds around 3 a.m.

Part 3: May 1

Making the call: Why Kent's mayor asked the governor to send the National Guard to Kent State

Warm weather brought out the crowd after President Richard Nixon announced the Vietnam War was expanding into Cambodia. Though the evening started peacefully, the crowd's mood changed shortly before midnight. Kent's police force had never dealt with anything like this, so the decision was made to ask the National Guard to be on standby. Read the story.

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National Guardsmen stand in relief as flames from the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) building at Kent State University rise into the night sky on May 2, 1970. The guard arrived on campus earlier that evening after the mayor of Kent, LeRoy Satrom, declared a state of emergency.
National Guardsmen stand in relief as flames from the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) building at Kent State University rise into the night sky on May 2, 1970. The guard arrived on campus earlier that evening after the mayor of Kent, LeRoy Satrom, declared a state of emergency.

Part 4: May 2

Warning, flames greeted National Guard ahead of Kent State shootings

A few hundred students gathered at the Commons to hear speeches and chant anti-war slogans. The rally turned into a march, growing in size as it passed by the dormitories. More than a thousand people had joined in by the time the demonstrators reached the ROTC building. After the demonstrators surrounded the building, several people made repeated attempts to set the structure on fire, each effort failing. But one attempt succeeded. Read the story.

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Marching down the same street in downtown Kent where his late daughter protested the Vietnam War in 1969, Arthur Krause (with sunglasses at lead of group) joins a protest against building a Gym Annex at Kent State University on Aug. 20, 1977. Allison Krause was killed by the Ohio National Guard during student protests May 4, 1970. A 1969 Moratorium Day march saw Allison also protest on Main Street.

Part 5: May 3

Allison Krause told guardsmen at Kent State 'Flowers are better than bullets!' Then a bullet killed her.

Allison Krause and her boyfriend Barry Levine set off to talk to some of these guards who had taken over their campus. They found one standing alone, a lilac sprouting from his gun barrel, placed there by another student. While talking a superior officer berated the guardsman for the "silly flower" in his rifle muzzle and took it. As the officer turned to leave, Allison snatched the flower from his hand. "What's the matter with peace?" she called after him as he turned and walked away. "Flowers are better than bullets!" Read the story.

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Ohio National Guardsmen span the top of Blanket Hill as they head back toward the Commons at Kent State University, May 4, 1970. Moments before, the guardsmen had opened fire on demonstrators and bystanders, killing four students and wounding nine.
Ohio National Guardsmen span the top of Blanket Hill as they head back toward the Commons at Kent State University, May 4, 1970. Moments before, the guardsmen had opened fire on demonstrators and bystanders, killing four students and wounding nine.

Part 6: May 4

Jeffrey Miller despised violence. He died in a hail of gunfire

Jeff Miller abhorred violence, at times even criticizing anti-war demonstrators who went too far. But he needed to express his deep opposition to the war in Vietnam. The least he could do, he told a friend, was to be another body at rallies, marches and sit-ins. His weapons were his voice, his defiance and, on occasion, his middle finger. Read the story.

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The Kent State campus sits empty as an Ohio National Guard jeep sits near Taylor Hall on the afternoon of May 4, 1970, after the university was closed following the shooting of 13 students by the National Guard.
The Kent State campus sits empty as an Ohio National Guard jeep sits near Taylor Hall on the afternoon of May 4, 1970, after the university was closed following the shooting of 13 students by the National Guard.

Part 7: May 5

The world watches investigation after Kent State shootings

In a volley that had lasted 13 seconds, four unarmed students were killed, and nine were wounded. Now it was time to trace each of the 67 rounds that were fired. Who shot it? What did it strike? Why was it fired at all? Read the story.

Lasting impact of National Guard shootings

Our 50th anniversary coverage included companion series of stories examining the impact of May 4 on a wide range of important topics such as support for the Vietnam War. We’ve also profiled four of the nine survivors.

A student throws back a tear gas canister below Taylor Hall on the Kent State campus on May 4, 1970. Protesters clashed with Ohio National Guard units that were sent to campus to quell unrest.
A student throws back a tear gas canister below Taylor Hall on the Kent State campus on May 4, 1970. Protesters clashed with Ohio National Guard units that were sent to campus to quell unrest.

Inquire, Learn, Reflect: How Kent State endured the 1970 shootings to embrace its tragic past

In the half-century since the shootings, Kent State has evolved from distancing itself from this defining moment for the university, to focusing on it and ultimately embracing it fully. Read the story.

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Candles from the annual commemoration May 3, 1978, light a ring around the memorial marker for the four students killed May 4, 1970, at Kent State University. Taylor Hall can be seen in the background at left.
Candles from the annual commemoration May 3, 1978, light a ring around the memorial marker for the four students killed May 4, 1970, at Kent State University. Taylor Hall can be seen in the background at left.

Kent State shootings on May 4, 1970, still shape Ohio colleges 50 years later

While the short-term effects of May 4 were clear, there were long-term effects for Ohio universities and for the students who populated them. It changed the way universities and their communities interacted. It prompted changes in state law regarding campus protests and violence. Some universities enacted more controls on events. And the shootings spurred people to action. Read the story.

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Members of Black United Students march October 27, 1979, down Summit Street from the Kent State Student Center to Dix Stadium to protest racism on campus and in athletics. Jeff Johnson, the BUS president, is in a black coat at the front of the march. Johnson served on Cleveland City Council and in the Ohio Senate.
Members of Black United Students march October 27, 1979, down Summit Street from the Kent State Student Center to Dix Stadium to protest racism on campus and in athletics. Jeff Johnson, the BUS president, is in a black coat at the front of the march. Johnson served on Cleveland City Council and in the Ohio Senate.

How the Kent State shootings divided a city and changed it forever

The May 4, 1970, Kent State shootings shaped the city of Kent for decades to come. In the immediate aftermath of the shootings, most people in the city supported either the students or the National Guard. Those two perspectives shaped the city’s politics. Read the story.

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Attendees at a rally to commemorate the 1970 shootings at Kent State hold hands during the 10th anniversary memorial ceremonies at the university, May 4, 1980.
Attendees at a rally to commemorate the 1970 shootings at Kent State hold hands during the 10th anniversary memorial ceremonies at the university, May 4, 1980.

Survivor continued activism, saw healing on campus 50 years later

Alan Canfora, one of the nine wounded, was an expert on the Kent State shootings whose mission was to educate and bring to light what happened that day. “I’ve just found it impossible to ignore this injustice, especially as long as there’s been Kent State students, faculty members and others who were joining in the fight for truth and justice for Kent State.’’ (Note: Canfora died in December 2020.) Read the story.

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A crowd gathers on the edge of the Prentice Hall parking lot during the annual May 4 candlelight vigil observance at Kent State on May 3, 1982. The candles surround the small memorial at the edge of the parking lot. Taylor Hall is in the background.
A crowd gathers on the edge of the Prentice Hall parking lot during the annual May 4 candlelight vigil observance at Kent State on May 3, 1982. The candles surround the small memorial at the edge of the parking lot. Taylor Hall is in the background.

Joe Lewis reflects on massacre 50 years later

Joe Lewis said he’s missed only one May 4 commemoration in the past 25 years. “For me it’s a very bittersweet time because it brings back horrible memories of pain and suffering for not just me, but for everyone who was there,” he said. Read the story.

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Professor Jerry Lewis (left, with beard), Elaine Holstein, mother of slain student Jeffrey Miller (center in white coat), and Dean Kahler (in wheelchair) participate May 3, 1976, in the annual candlelight vigil march to commemorate the shootings on the Kent State campus.
Professor Jerry Lewis (left, with beard), Elaine Holstein, mother of slain student Jeffrey Miller (center in white coat), and Dean Kahler (in wheelchair) participate May 3, 1976, in the annual candlelight vigil march to commemorate the shootings on the Kent State campus.

Paralyzed survivor Dean Kahler harbors no anger

Dean Kahler walked onto the campus full of hopes and dreams. He left some years later, degree in hand in a wheelchair and with a new path in life. Read the story.

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Eight of the nine students who were wounded on May 4, 1970, attend the annual commemoration ceremony on May 4, 1985. They were joined by Elaine Holstein, the mother of Jeffrey Miller, one of the four slain students. They include Dean Kahler, Alan Canfora (in black shirt), Robert Stamps, James Russell, Tom Grace, Joseph Lewis Jr., Donald Scott MacKenzie, and Douglas Wrentmore.

Survivor has spent 50 years studying student activism

Tom Grace, a wounded survivor of the Kent State shootings, told his story of May 4 so many times that he was ready to move on to the bigger picture — exploring the origins of the student protest movement at Kent State. “It’s a subject to which I’ve directed scholarly energy for a long time,” Grace said of the shootings and student activism that came before. “I’m far more interested in telling the larger stories. After going through this [telling his story] for five decades, to a certain extent you get talked out.” Read the story.

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Mary Ann Vecchio screams as she kneels over the body of Kent State University student Jeffrey Miller on May 4, 1970.
Mary Ann Vecchio screams as she kneels over the body of Kent State University student Jeffrey Miller on May 4, 1970.

Iconic image stokes anti-war sentiment across US

Nothing brought the Vietnam War home more dramatically than a photograph taken that day by a Kent State photojournalism major -- young Mary Ann Vecchio kneeling next to the dead body of student Jeffrey Miller, her hands turned upward in despair, a look of horror on her face. It was the face that launched a thousand protests. Read the story.

A crowd of students, some carrying their books gathers near the charred remains of the ROTC building on the Kent State campus. At the top left is Taylor Hall, where, around noon on the building’s far side, National Guardsmen clashed with protesters and opened fire.
A crowd of students, some carrying their books gathers near the charred remains of the ROTC building on the Kent State campus. At the top left is Taylor Hall, where, around noon on the building’s far side, National Guardsmen clashed with protesters and opened fire.

See how May 4, 1970, events played out with interactive story

After a morning of confusing and contradictory meetings at Kent State, Ohio National Guard Gen. Robert Canterbury took matters into his own hands before noon on May 4, 1970. Read the story.

Idris Kabir Syed, an associate professor in Kent State’s Department of Pan-African Studies and faculty adviser for Students for a Democratic Society, on the campus of Kent State University on Saturday, April 11, 2020, in Kent, Ohio.
Idris Kabir Syed, an associate professor in Kent State’s Department of Pan-African Studies and faculty adviser for Students for a Democratic Society, on the campus of Kent State University on Saturday, April 11, 2020, in Kent, Ohio.

How events of May 4, 1970, influence student activism today

It was 50 years ago, but at Kent State, May 4 is a looming presence. The reminders, from memorial markers to bullet holes, are everywhere. But activism is still strong at Kent State, and for those who have picked up the baton — leading campus protests and letter-writing campaigns or fighting the university administration for more mental health support for students — May 4 serves as both a motivation and a stark reminder of what can happen when students speak out. They raise their voices anyway. Read the story.

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Local history: Retired KSU nurse recalls May 4

Eleanor McMillen thought she had seen it all at the DeWeese Health Center at Kent State University. The 40-year-old nurse had spent the past three years caring for ailing students, handling such routine cases as broken bones, sprains, bruises, scrapes, cuts, colds, allergies, stomachaches, earaches and headaches. She once even pulled a cockroach out of a student’s ear. But then came May 4, 1970. Read the story.

May 4, 1970, in photos

Photos: Kent State May 4 shootings - Confrontation turns into national tragedy

Photos: Kent State shootings - From a normal school to an inferno of protests

Kent State shootings: 50 years of remembering the tragic day

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Looking back at May 4, 1970: National Guard shootings at Kent State