May 4

The Ohio History Connection’s State Historic Preservation Office Awards has recognized Kent State University with a 2018 Public Education and Awareness Award.

Nearly five decades have passed since Ohio National Guardsmen fired into a gathering of protesting students on the campus of Kent State University, killing four, wounding nine and impacting generations.

A portion of Kent State University’s Kent Campus has taken its place alongside the nation’s most significant historic locations, joining such sites as the Grand Canyon National Park, Pearl Harbor and the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama.

Sandy Scheuer was on her way to class on May 4, 1970, when she was shot and killed by Ohio National Guardsmen responding to protests of the Vietnam War at Kent State University. She was a junior honors student, a speech therapy major and a proud member of Alpha Xi Delta sorority. 

Kent State University holds its 47th annual commemoration of May 4, 1970, with events taking place May 3 and 4. The annual commemoration, hosted by the May 4 Task Force, provides an opportunity for the university community to gather and remember those who were lost and injured during the tragedy and also reflect on what May 4 means today.