Memorializing the Victims, Maintaining the Legacy
Public Memory at UWEC
Memory and the immediate aftermath
UW Eau Claire responded thoughtfully and empathetically in the aftermath of the Kent State shooting on Monday May 4th, 1970. Two days later, the university grappled with the shockwaves of the tragedy as a noticeable impact was felt on campus attendance. A survey conducted on that Wednesday afternoon revealed a significant reduction, with between one-third and half of the student body choosing not to attend classes.
This response reflected a sense of solidarity and shared grief among the student body, as they grappled with the hard-hitting implications of the Kent State shooting. In recognizing the emotional toll of the incident, the university likely prioritized providing a supportive environment for its students, acknowledging the need for collective reflection and mourning during this challenging period. UWEC’s measured approach in the wake of this national tragedy showcased an institution that understood the importance of fostering a compassionate and understanding community in times of crisis.
"We need to honor this voice of young people. It's an important one."
In response to the Kent State shooting aftermath, UWEC students demonstrated a nonviolent and community-focused approach. Simultaneously with the strikes, the University initiated practical initiatives, such as introducing a free kitchen outside the Davies Center. This aimed to provide a communal space for students amidst the emotionally charged atmosphere.
In a display of strong solidarity to Kent State, students embarked on a citywide search to collect miscellaneous materials for one of the first makeshift memorials in the wake of the Kent State tragedy. Constructed entirely of discarded items such as old tires and trash, the “memorial” spoke not only to the student’s drive to create a public reminder of a traumatic event, but a stark symbolism in constructing this with materials seen as expendable, as it seemed the Ohio National Guard had seen the students killed.
Tree Commemoration
On May 8, 1970—the same day as the student strike and protests at UWEC in response to the Kent State massacre— students and faculty planted four crabapple trees in front of the old Davies Center. The trees represented each of the four students killed at Kent: Allison Krause (19), Jeffrey Glenn Miller (20), and Sandra Lee Scheuer (20), and William Knox Schroeder (19).
Because crabapple trees bloom a brilliant pink from April to May, UWEC students chose them as a symbolic representation of the students. Each spring in Wisconsin would bring forth the vibrant colors of the trees as they reached full bloom near the anniversary of the shooting, creating a beautiful but solemn reminder of the four lives cut short in Ohio.
For student activists at UWEC, a memorial in honor of the victims was a priority; students felt passionate about the need to keep the memory of those lost alive. Some of the first ideas were for a temporary memorial, taking the shape of a peace sign burnt into the ground, or in the shape of flowers. With a more lasting presence and a yearly bloom to mark the tragic event, the crabapple trees were chosen as an ideal tribute. In the ensuing years, the trees would fittingly serve as a site for student activism, such as for an anti-war protest held on December 8, 1990. Students gathered at the base of the trees for a demonstration titled “No Blood for Oil,” to protest the Gulf War and the escalation of US involvement in the Middle East.
Student newspaper editorial addressing the Kent State trees taken down for the new Davies Center. Photo courtesy of The University-of-Wisconsin Eau Claire’s The Spectator, October 7, 2009.
Student newspaper editorial addressing the Kent State trees taken down for the new Davies Center. Photo courtesy of The University-of-Wisconsin Eau Claire’s The Spectator, October 7, 2009.
Four Trees for Four Victims
“And it was like, how can you cut those down? How can you, you know…they were put there for a purpose.”
– Sally Gordon, Alumni of The University-of-Wisconsin Eau Claire, quoted from the Centennial Oral History Project, October 8, 2012.
But by fall 2009, three of the four trees had decayed. That same year, all of the trees were marked for removal to make way for the construction of the new Davies Center. It was not until May 4, 2015 that four new trees were planted in a different location on campus, now residing between the Davies Center and Phillips Hall.
Map for the potential moving of the four crabapple trees, due to the new Davies Center that was to be placed. Photo courtesy of The University-of-Wisconsin Eau Claire’s The Spectator, October 7, 2009.
Map for the potential moving of the four crabapple trees, due to the new Davies Center that was to be placed. Photo courtesy of The University-of-Wisconsin Eau Claire’s The Spectator, October 7, 2009.
In an editorial in The University-of-Wisconsin Eau Claire's student newspaper The Spectator, published October 7, 2009, they argued there was not enough open discussion about what should be done with the trees. While they conveyed solemnity for the trees’ unfortunate fate, they also mentioned that there was no one to blame besides the “community that did not speak up.”
"[T]he planning of the new center has gone too far to take the memorial trees into consideration.”
- University-of-Wisconsin Eau Claire's The Spectator student editorial, October 7, 2009.
After the announcement of the tree’s removal, reactions were mixed. First, there was a “Party for the Trees” held October 7, 2009, that included a variety of activities for students to gather and commemorate the trees’ final days. “One of the big reasons I came to Eau Claire was because it’s such a beautiful campus and it has so much green space,” quoted by former student Mike Renner, in The Spectator, “It will be sad to see (the trees) go, but I think this will help the campus as a whole.”
Shortly thereafter, associate professor of art Jason Lanka proposed a plan to create a memorial from the remains of the original trees. The wooden sculpture would consist of two hands holding a tree, as a symbol of “universal thanks” to the four victims of Kent State. However, the project never materialized.
"[I]n the case of the Kent State Memorial, there is no one to blame except for a community that did not speak up.”
Editorial in The Spectator, (2009)
A Stone Memorial
With the four crabapple trees placed on May 8th, 1970, at UWEC, a stone was also placed. The stone and trees were located directly by the campus mall. This was due to the peaceful protests that were held there. The stone was placed at the base of the trees in 1970.
It contained information about the Kent State shooting and mentioned all four of the students who were murdered. It also mentioned the date that the trees were planted and the date of the shooting. When the University’s Davies Center was set to be constructed, it was evident that the trees and the stone had to be removed to create room for the center in 2009.
Symbols of Commemoration
While the activism for Kent State at UWEC faded in the time between the removal of the memorial and the placement of the new one, Terre Sullivan, a witness of Kent State, never failed to fight for a proper memorial. Her connection to Kent State is significant since she lost a roommate and classmate due to the massacre.
Terre and her husband would visit the school’s previous memorial often to commemorate the victims, as they are Eau Claire residents. A new memorial was placed in 2015. The 2015 memorial consisted of the four trees, a stone, and a plaque describing the peaceful protests that took place on campus.
UWEC Memorial Stone
UWEC Memorial Stone
Kent State Memorial plaque at UWEC.
Kent State Memorial plaque at UWEC.
" I’m so glad to have it back. We are very pleased to have a memorial that speaks so strongly of not only the Kent State tragedy, but also of the things that can happen in a society where people are voiceless or powerless"
2015 Commemoration Ceremony
"I think we can all say that it's pretty cool they're making a memorial in Wisconsin about it," Napp said. "It's interesting that it impacted people that weren't even on campus that day."
On the morning of May 4th, 2015, on the 45th anniversary of the Kent State shooting, students, faculty, and members of the Eau-Claire gathered outside Phillips Hall to dedicate a new memorial to the victims. Terre Sullivan, a student at Kent-State in the 1970s and a friend of one of the victims attended the ceremony. The victims’ voices were honored once again by the unveiling of a marker and the 4 young crabapple trees, each representing one of the students killed 45 years before.
Kent State Newspaper clipping, May 3rd, 2015
Kent State Newspaper clipping, May 3rd, 2015
The speakers, including Chancellor Jim Schmidt, former state senate Robert Jaunch, and Terre Sullivan, honored those lost and thanked UWEC students for their efforts to demand justice for Allison Krause, Jeffrey Glenn Miller, Sandra Lee Scheuer, and William Knox Schroeder. While the stark monument was a needed reminder of the lost lives, for some students, it may go unnoticed in its location, tucked to the side of Philips Hall. However, the new crab apple trees and memorial marker got the attention of Jim Arnold, a student who attended the protests at UWEC in 1970. Writing about the dedication ceremony on his blog, Arnold said, “Today, happily, after enduring five years of uncertainty about the status of the Kent State memorial, I am here to report a significant new development. I recently received notice from UWEC that on May 4th, tomorrow, a new memorial will be dedicated”. Today, the memorial remains a reminder to UWEC students of the history of activism on campus.
2015 commemoration picture of Chancellor Jim Schimdt, former student senate Robert Jauch, and Jake Wrasse, current state senate. photo courtesy of Leader Telegram, Eau-Claire and the Chippewa Valley news source May 5th, 2015
2015 commemoration picture of Chancellor Jim Schimdt, former student senate Robert Jauch, and Jake Wrasse, current state senate. photo courtesy of Leader Telegram, Eau-Claire and the Chippewa Valley news source May 5th, 2015
Informative poster of 2015 commemoration. photo courtesy of Techno Monk's Musings May 3rd, 2015
Informative poster of 2015 commemoration. photo courtesy of Techno Monk's Musings May 3rd, 2015
“I am sad that I cannot be there to participate in the event, but very pleased that there will be a new Kent State Memorial to get acquainted with during my next trip to campus.”
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