Commencement proceeds with no issues
Commencement goes off without a hitch; President Terrell is cheered when he commends the demonstrators for their dedication to non-violence. The image featured in this item may be found in the Paul Philemon Kies Photograph Collection (pc028b16_70p05_19700607grad).
1970-06-07
University announces new Chicano Studies Program
The University announces a new Chicano Studies Program.
1970-05-28
Students Strike
A student strike from May 24-June1, including all-day picketing of campus buildings, begins in response to Terrell's rejection of Third World student group demands. Students also announce an intent to withdraw all their money from downtown bank, and to boycott local businesses who refuse to post signs supporting the strikers. The image featured in this item may be found in the Paul Philemon Kies Photograph Collection (pc028b16_70o19_19700527.tif).
1970-05-24
"Third World" student groups present demands to University
An alliance of self-described "Third World" student groups presents the University with a list of eleven demands as "a minimum commitment against racism." President Terrell would reject these demands on May 22. The label Third World arises from the idea that many minorities groups in the United States arrive as a result of unequal relationships between the United States and poorer, Third World nations from which specific groups draw their origins. The image featured in this item may be found in the WSU Student Protests Ephemera collection (ua315b1f1_19700518oneofthebestdocumented).
1970-05-18
French Administration Building occupied by student protestors
Hundreds of students occupy the French Administration Building ("Fort French"), refusing to leave until President Terrell submits to their demands. The WSU protest is one of many across the nation on May 5 protesting the Kent State University shooting the day before. The image featured in this item may be found in the Paul Philemon Kies Photograph Collection ( pc028b16_70L35, May 1970, takeover of French Ad by anti-war demonstrators.tif)
1970-05-05
First co-ed dorms open
WSU announces that that fall, for the first time, some campus dorms (Orton, Neill, Streit, Perham) will be co-ed.
1970-03-30
First African American ASWSU President
Carlton Lewis is elected ASWSU President. He is the first African American to fill that role in the school?s history. The image featured in this item may be found in the Hilltopics Photograph Collection (pc123b7f1_lewiscarlton.tif).
1970-03-27
Hundreds of draft protestors participate in grape boycott, Ralph Atkins arrested
Several hundred draft protesters march from campus to the Selective Service (draft) office, and after police break that up, many march into three grocery stores to participate in a grape boycott protest. The protesters do minor damage to the stores, smashing grapes under their feet, and then at one store helping themselves to beer and other liquids. Of the hundreds of students involved (most white), only one is initially arrested, a young black student named Ralph Atkins, who is accused of inciting a riot. Atkins is convicted in October and sentenced to six months in jail; that is reduced to 90 days after community members raise money to reimburse the grocery stores for their damages. The image featured in this item may be found in the Paul Philemon Kies Photograph Collection (pc028b16_70b17_19700313).
1970-03-13
MEChA pickets in support of the National Farm Labor Union
WSU MEChA pickets Pullman's Safeway in support of the National Farm Labor Union. The boycott of Safeway would include a raid as part of a larger protest in March.
1970-01-09
Associated Women Students' panel on abortion attracts large crowd
A capacity crowd attends an Associated Women Students panel on abortion. The Washington state abortion laws at the time had been written in 1909.
1969-11-19
"March Against Death" held during four day Moratorium
A four-day Moratorium is held November 13-16, including a "March Against Death" on the 15th. Estimates put attendance at less than one-third of the October 15th event. The image featured in this item may be found in the Paul Philemon Kies Photograph Collection (pc028b16_69ai28_19691114).
1969-11-13 - 1969-11-19
National Student Moratorium against the Vietnam War
On October 1st, the ASWSU Senate votes to take no stand against the Vietnam War, but reverses their stand on October 8th. Events at WSU's Moratorium include discussions, speeches by Governor Dan Evans and Spokane civil rights attorney Carl Maxey, films, folk singing, poetry reading, and a candlelight march. The image featured in this item may be found in the Paul Philemon Kies Photograph Collection (pc028b16_69af16_19691015torchlight).
1969-10-15
Student demonstrators occupy Placement Bureau to protest military recruitment
50 to 75 students occupy WSU's Placement Bureau to protest military recruitment on campus. After being given 15 minutes to disperse or be arrested, the demonstrators departed. Students reoccupied the office two days later, but dispersed when they couldn't decide on the most effective form of protest.
1969-10-06
WSU's Black Studies Program begins
The first classes begin in WSU's new Black Studies Program.
1969-09-25
Protestors block students arrested in fraternity fight from entering courthouse
Reporting in Colfax for their first weekend in jail, five African American students charged in the Alpha Gamma Rho brawl are prevented from entering the courthouse by 75 students from different colleges who support them; they and all involved spent the night in a Colfax church which is surrounded by police deputies. The following day, 42 of those students surrender quietly and are in turn arrested; the five convicted students report to jail with no negative consequences, and the WSU Black Student Union later sends the county Sheriff a bouquet of roses for his role in preventing the situation from escalating into violence.
1969-02-28
Shots during brawl between fraternity and African American students
Following a basketball game on January 9th where members of the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity uttered racial slurs at members of Goldsworthy Hall, twelve to twenty African American students approach the Alpha Gamma Rho house. At least one student is armed with a shotgun (reportedly for self-protection, since they were entering a fraternity housing forty students). Several go in and one gets on a table and addresses the fraternity about the incident. A major brawl ensues. Two shots are fired into the ceiling and a couple harmlessly at the outside of the house and five students go to the hospital with minor injuries. Five black students are charged, plead guilty, and are given 30 to 60 day jail sentences to be served on weekends.
1969-01-15
Basketball game ends with scuffle and racial slurs
A basketball game between Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity members and Goldsworthy Hall students ends with racial slurs and the AGR students throwing punches.
1969-01-09