1970 student protest in front of Beckley’s
By Selina Nadeau
The Athens Historical Society, located at 65 N. Court St., has an exhibit of photos that depict the response of Ohio University students to the Kent State shootings, the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movements in 1970.
The exhibit, “The Sky has Fallen: Troops, Turmoil and Teargas,” includes more than 70 photographs of students marching, holding signs and marking graffiti around many local Athens landmarks that will look to familiar to nearly all current and former Bobcats.
Student protests at entrance to Ohio University in 1970
Familiar landmarks include the Athena Cinema—with both the picturesque look of a 1970s theater and an incredible likeness to its current state—the rest of Court Street, College Green, and the always-recognizable Civil War memorial.
Unlike many other universities in the state, Ohio University remained open for several days after the Kent State massacre on May 4, 1970. Before the university finally closed on May 11, hundreds of students publicly voiced their outrage over the events at Kent State and the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.
They encouraged university officials to combat those problems and showed their support for civil rights and women’s rights movements cropping up around the state and the country.
Most of the photos included in the exhibit were taken by former Post photographer, Ken Steinhoff, who also took photos for The Athens Messenger.
The exhibit is only available for the next few weeks at the Athens Historical Society, which is open on weekdays from noon to 4 p.m. and is free to the public.
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