Student Affairs Crisis Management at Kent State in 1970: 50 Years Later

Abstract

On May 4, 1970, four students were killed and nine were wounded when National Guardsmen opened fire on anti-war protestors at Kent State University. This case study explores the tragedy and the experiences of student affairs professionals at KSU leading up to and after the shootings. Although the field of crisis management did not exist in 1970, student affairs leaders engaged in several currently accepted practices of crisis management to try to avoid the unthinkable.