Kent State Remembers May 4, 1970
On May 2-4, 2025, Kent State University will hold its annual commemoration to honor the memory of May 4, 1970 – a tragic day when the Ohio National Guard opened fire on Kent State students during an anti-war protest on campus, killing four students and wounding nine others. May 4, 1970, marked a pivotal moment in American history.
While reflecting on the past, Kent State also looks forward, recognizing the enduring impact of May 4 on the university today and its future.
“The Power of Our Voices” continues to serve as the theme for the May 4 Commemoration.“As we continue to honor the power of our voices, this year’s May 4 Commemoration highlights the ongoing significance of free speech, activism and education in shaping our collective history,” said Neil Cooper, Ph.D., professor and director of Kent State’s School of Peace and Conflict Studies and chair of the May 4 Education Committee. “The May 4 Education Committee has been working year-round to bring meaningful educational programming that reflects on the past and inspires present and future generations.”
This year’s commemoration events include:
Friday, May 2
At 11:30 a.m., Kent State will hold the Jerry M. Lewis May 4 Lecture Series and Luncheon. The lecture and luncheon, now in its fourth year, will be held in the Kent Student Center Ballroom and will feature Jennifer Mapes, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Geography, who will present “It Was Time for Me to Go Home”: Sense of Place and Belonging in Kent (May 1-4, 1970). This ticketed event is free and open to the public. Tickets will be available for download on April 4.
At 3 p.m. in the Kent Student Center Kiva, author David Paul Kuhn will discuss his book “The Hardhat Riot: Nixon, New York City and the Dawn of the White Working-Class Revolution.” Historians will join Kuhn for a moderated panel discussion that explores the significance of the 1970 Hardhat Riot and its lasting impact. Panelists joining Kuhn are Thomas Grace, Ph.D.; Mary Ann Heiss, Ph.D.; and Gregory Wilson, Ph.D. This panel will examine the intersection of protest, politics and class conflict – then and now – drawing connections between past and present divisions in American society. This ticketed event is free and open to the public. Tickets will be available for download on April 4.
Saturday, May 3
Operation Babylift: A 50-Year Retrospective and Personal History will take place at 1 p.m. in the Kent Student Center Kiva. The event explores the lasting impact of the Vietnam War through the perspectives of adoptee Mahli Xuan Mechenbier, J.D., and retired Maj. Gen. Ed Mechenbier, a Vietnam prisoner of war, connecting the war’s humanitarian and historical consequences to Kent State’s legacy. Tickets will be available for download on April 4.
The annual Candlelight Walk and Vigil will begin at 11 p.m. This cornerstone of the commemoration began in 1971. Food will be available before the Candlelight Walk on the Kent State Commons and in the Prentice Hall parking lot, and there will be an online sign-up for the Candlelight Vigil.
Sunday, May 4
The campus community and visitors will gather at noon on the May 4 site at the Kent State Commons to commemorate the moment that gunfire erupted 55 years ago. The commemoration will include remarks from university students and administrators, the ringing of the Victory Bell and a moment of silence at 12:24 p.m.
The commemoration remembers those killed – Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller, Sandra Scheuer and William Schroeder – and those wounded – Alan Canfora, John Cleary, Thomas Grace, Dean Kahler, Joseph Lewis, Donald Mackenzie, James Russell, Robert Stamps and Douglas Wrentmore – on May 4, 1970.
Music on the Kent State Commons will precede the commemoration at 11 a.m. Guided walking tours of the May 4 site will occur at 3 p.m.
Additional Events
In addition to these university-sponsored programs, university departments, the May 4 Task Force and other student groups will host related events and programs leading up to the commemoration on May 4.
For the latest information about the commemoration and events planned to honor and remember May 4, 1970, visit www.kent.edu/may4.