Voices of Protest, Voices of Reason

On May 4, 1970, the National Guard opened fire into a crowd at Kent State University in Ohio, as students gathered to protest President Nixon's expansion of the Vietnam War into Cambodia. When the smoke cleared, four students lay dead. Just ten days later, Mississippi State police shot and killed two students at Jackson State University, at an event linked to the anti-war movement.

In Vietnam-era America, tensions ran high. A public exhausted by a seemingly endless war and shocked by revelations about its extent clashed with officials who defended US involvement. But the killing of students protesting the war marked a tragic turning point.

As the nation grappled with the rising death toll abroad, they struggled to understand the violence now erupting at home. Already central to the anti-war movement, university campuses across the country exploded with activity. Students participated in peaceful marches, strikes, and sit-ins, seeking justice for the students slain at Kent and Jackson State.

This exhibit tells the story of how these historic moments played out at UWEC, where students, administrators, and faculty navigated tensions and questions of the Vietnam era, leaving a meaningful legacy for our campus in the process.

Explore the exhibit through the panels below

Remembering those lost

Kent State, May 4, 1970

Allison Beth Krause, 19

Allison Krause was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the daughter of Doris Levine and Arthur Krause, who said of her: "My daughter Allison was not a radical. She was a feeling, caring person who was against war in Vietnam, Cambodia, Israel, or any other place. She was not a member of a radical group, but rather acted as an individual, who felt deeply."

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Jeffrey Glenn Miller, 20

Jeffrey Miller was born in Plainview, New York, the son of Elaine Holstein and Bernard Miller. Jeffrey's mother recounts how he had a great sense of humor and liked the Mets, music, math and motorcycles. In 1970, Miller had just transferred to Kent State from Michigan State University.

Sandra Lee Scheuer, 20

Sandra Scheuer was born in Youngstown, Ohio, the daughter of Sarah and Martin Sandra, a junior who was majoring in speech therapy, was a member of the Kent State Beta Tau Chapter at Kent State, an honor student, and active member of the Jewish community,. She was killed while walking to class on May 4, 1970.

William Knox Schroeder, 19

William Schroeder was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, the son of Florence and Louis Schroeder. In high school, Schroeder was an honors student and exceptional athlete. Schroeder was killed by a single shot in the chest. According to reports, he was not taking part in the anti-war protests, but simply walking between classes.

Jackson State, May 14, 1970

Phillip Lafayette Gibbs, 21

Phillip Lafayette Gibbs was the son of a Mississippi sharecropper who graduated at the top of his high school class in 1967. Afterwards, he enrolled in pre-law studies at the historically Black Jackson State College (now Jackson State University) and married his high school sweetheart, Del Adams. During his junior year, Gibbs and his wife welcomed a son. Just months later, on May 14, 1970, the young father was gunned down by Mississippi State police.

James Earl Green, 17

James Earl Green grew up in Jackson, Mississippi, one of eight children. His father died when Green was young, and he and his siblings were raised by their mother, Myrtle Green. James was a member of his high school track team and excelled as a mile runner. Those who knew him described him as a hardworking student who had dreams of attending UCLA.

Green lived and worked near Jackson State College (now Jackson State University). On the evening of May 14, 1970, he was on his way home from work while violence was breaking out on Lynch Street, a main thoroughfare that cut across the campus.