Resources

Thomas M. GraceGuide to Experts

Kent State has numerous experts, including witnesses, historians and other members of the university community, who are available for media interviews about the history and impact of May 4. Their contact information can be found in the Guide to Experts by entering "May 4" in the block marked "expertise".


Special to Todd Chapel, The Tampa Tribune - May 4, Kent State University: Dr. Jerry Lewis, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, stands near the spot where the Ohio National Guard fired at students on the Kent State University campus on May 4, 1970. Four students lost their lives during the confrontation between the Ohio National Guard and anti-Vietnam War demonstrators. Photo by Gary HarwoodJerry M. Lewis May 4 Lecture Series

A lecture series has been created to honor the legacy of Jerry M. Lewis Emeritus Professor of Sociology and advance the scholarship of May 4, 1970 and the Vietnam War era.

 


Legacy: May 4 Podcast Logo

Legacy: May 4, a Kent State Today Podcast

Hosted by Stephen Ward, Vice President for University Communications & Marketing.

The moments, mistakes, and wisdom that define our present and guide our future are held in a time capsule called Legacy.

It’s a gift we inherit, meant to challenge us and shape the narrative of what’s to come. The lessons within can guide us toward transformation, especially when history seems to echo its own refrain. As Americans, we’re woven into a tapestry of legacies, be it from July 4th, 1776, the pivotal year of 1619, or seismic dates like December 7th, 1941, and September 11th, 2001. And in the chapters of our collective story lies another date of profound significance: May 4th, 1970.


Alan Canfora waves flagMaking Meaning of May 4

Teaching about the Kent State Shootings - Educators, engage students with the facts of the Kent State shootings, May 4, 1970, and relation to movements today, including March for Our Lives and Black Lives Matter.

 


A sculpture on campus encourages passersby to stop and reflectMultimedia

Multimedia elements, such as photography, videos and personal testimonies can help maximize the written accounts about the events of May 4, 1970 by leading to a deeper understanding of what transpired. Kent State University's Special Collections and Archives houses a May 4 Collection, with multimedia components, which is open to the public.


Visitors to the May 4 Collection in Taylor HallSpecial Collections and Archives

In 1970, Kent State University Libraries established a May 4 Collection in its Special Collections and Archives. This publicly accessible repository includes more than 300 cubic feet of primary sources related to the Kent State shootings and their aftermath.

 


May 4th Through the Looking GlassThrough the Looking Glass

May 4: Through the Looking Glass, created within Kent State University’s School of Emerging Media and Technology in collaboration with Alan Canfora, is an interactive exhibition that seeks to open up new spaces for thinking and feeling the profound legacies of May 4, 1970.