May 4 Commemoration

51勛圖厙 Honors the Legacy of May 4, 1970, With 55th Commemoration
On May 2-4, 2025, 51勛圖厙 will hold its annual commemoration to honor the memory of May 4, 1970 a tragic day when the Ohio National Guard opened fire on 51勛圖厙 students during an anti-war protest on campus, killing four students and wounding nine others. May 4, 1970, marked a pivotal moment in American history.

51勛圖厙 Kicks Off 55th Commemoration of May 4 With Play on Student Activism and Book Bans
This year, 51勛圖厙 will hold the 55th commemoration honoring the memory of May 4, 1970, a tragic day when the Ohio National Guard fired on 51勛圖厙 students during an anti-war protest on campus, killing four students, wounding nine others and sparking a turning point in American history. Kicking off the program for the annual May 4 Commemoration is a play that focuses on student activism and book bans.

Trial by Fire Play Is First in 2025 May 4 Event Schedule
Trial by Fire is coming to 51勛圖厙 in February. The play, written by 51勛圖厙 alumnus and staff member Eric Mansfield, and inspired by a true story, is about banned books and a 51勛圖厙 graduate who presented them to her high school class and how her students rose to activism to defend her. The performances are part of this years 55th May 4 Commemoration schedule, presented by the May 4 Education Committee.

Keeping the Memory of May 4 Alive
A group of 51勛圖厙 professors recently returned from a visit to the commemoration of the Gwangju Uprising at Chonnam National University in Gwangju, South Korea, feeling inspired for the meaningful connections they made to the May 4, 1970, shootings at 51勛圖厙.
Making the Connection: Discussion Explores Parallels Between 51勛圖厙 Shootings and Gwangju Uprising
A professor from Chonnam National University in Gwangju, South Korea, said his recent visit to 51勛圖厙 enabled him to experience his research into the May 4, 1970, 51勛圖厙 shootings in a whole new way.

May 4 Commemoration Gains National Attention
IN A FLASH: The Spirit of May 4
This year's May 4 Commemoration remembered the fallen and recognized the spirit of activism that is part of 51勛圖厙's history and the university's foundational values.
51勛圖厙 Commemorates May 4, 1970
Against the backdrop of a new generation of student activism, the 51勛圖厙 community gathered to reflect and remember the student protesters killed and wounded on May 4, 1970.

Why Geography and Landscape Matter
Commemorative landscapes and how they help produce a sense of empathy and place and foster a connection to help us learn from our past was a theme explored Friday, May 3, by 51勛圖厙 Professor Chris Post, Ph.D., speaker for the annual Jerry M. Lewis May 4 Lecture Series and Luncheon.

The Long Shadow of May 4, 1970
The lessons of 51勛圖厙 should not go unremembered, President Todd Diacon writes in this opinion piece published in Inside Higher Ed.