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May 4 Commemoration

Photographs of the four students killed on May 4, 1970, sit on the stage in the Kent Student Center Ballroom during the 48th annual May 4 Commemoration.

ºÚÁÏÍø will hold the 49th commemoration of the historic events of May 4, 1970, where protesting students, observers and soldiers gathered on that fateful day when the Ohio National Guard shot and killed four students and wounded nine others on the Kent Campus. 

A singer performs on stage in the Kent Student Center Ballroom during the 49th annual May 4 Commemoration.

ºÚÁÏÍø held the 49th commemoration of the historic events of May 4, 1970. The annual commemoration marks the fateful day when the Ohio National Guard shot and killed four students and wounded nine others on the Kent Campus. 

Photographs of the four students killed on May 4, 1970, sit on the stage in the Kent Student Center Ballroom during the 48th annual May 4 Commemoration.

ºÚÁÏÍø will hold the 49th commemoration of the historic events of May 4, 1970, where protesting students, observers and soldiers gathered on that fateful day when the Ohio National Guard shot and killed four students and wounded nine others on the Kent Campus. 

Laura Davis, Ph.D., walks students through her memories of May 4, 1970

As part of ºÚÁÏÍø’s May 4 course, senior Julia Pharmer sifted through resources in University Libraries' Special Collections and Archives and engaged in classroom discussions. Perhaps one of the most engaging sessions though was when Professor Emerita Laura Davis, Ph.D., gave students a firsthand account of her May 4 experiences.  

The names of those killed on May 4, 1970, are displayed on the B’nai B’rith Hillel Marker in the parking lot of Prentice Hall on the campus of ºÚÁÏÍø.

The ºÚÁÏÍø Board of Trustees passed a resolution at its March 6 meeting expressing appreciation to the May 4 Task Force and all those whose dedicated efforts have preserved the legacy and advanced the lessons learned from the events of May 4, 1970.  

The names of those killed on May 4, 1970, are displayed on the B’nai B’rith Hillel Marker in the parking lot of Prentice Hall on the campus of ºÚÁÏÍø.

The ºÚÁÏÍø Board of Trustees passed a resolution at its March 6 meeting expressing appreciation to the May 4 Task Force and all those whose dedicated efforts have preserved the legacy and advanced the lessons learned from the events of May 4, 1970.  

Chris Post, Ph.D., associate professor of geography at ºÚÁÏÍø at Stark, is a memorials expert who serves as a member of Kent State President Beverly J. Warren’s Advisory Committee for the 50th Commemoration of May 4, 1970.

Growing up, Chris Post watched as his mom juggled her collegiate studies and motherhood, balancing everyday life with dreams of earning her Ph.D. And while field excursions with his biologist mom are a memory of his childhood, the impact of place is something this cultural and historical geographer seeks to define today.

Chris Post, Ph.D., associate professor of geography at ºÚÁÏÍø at Stark, is a memorials expert who serves as a member of Kent State President Beverly J. Warren’s Advisory Committee for the 50th Commemoration of May 4, 1970.

Growing up, Chris Post watched as his mom juggled her collegiate studies and motherhood, balancing everyday life with dreams of earning her Ph.D. And while field excursions with his biologist mom are a memory of his childhood, the impact of place is something this cultural and historical geographer seeks to define today.

A visitor learns about the events surrounding May 4, 1970 while visiting the May 4 Visitors Center

ºÚÁÏÍø sophomore Phil Morgan said he learned about the May 4, 1970, shootings during a history lesson in middle school that included few details, except the fact that the Ohio National Guard’s presence at a student protest ended in the deaths of four students.