May 4 Online Newsroom

On Feb. 23, 2010, the National Register of Historic Places, the official list of the nation's historic places worthy of preservation, added the site of the May 4, 1970, shootings at Kent State University to the list.

"What happened here at Kent State was historic, and itâ€™s appropriate that it receives this special designation," said Kent State University President Lester A. Lefton. "National Register recognizes those places that are significant in American history and culture, and the May 4 site definitely qualifies for this recognition."

Today's Highlights

May 4 News

Kent State Announces Events for 43rd Annual Commemoration of May 4

Film Director Oliver Stone, PBS News Anchor Gwen Ifill to Help Dedicate Kent Stateâ€™s May 4 Visitors Center

Kent State University will hold its 43rd annual commemoration of May 4, 1970, with events taking place from May 2-5. The annual commemoration provides an avenue for the university community to come together to remember those lost and injured during the tragedy and also to reflect on the meaning of May 4 for today.

View Events Schedule

Kent State Presents 12th Annual Symposium on Democracy

Kent State University presents the 12th Annual Symposium on Democracy. Held in commemoration of the events of May 4, 1970, the symposium takes place April 28-29 in Oscar Ritchie Hall and is sponsored by the universityâ€™s Department of History, Department of Pan-African Studies and Womenâ€™s Studies Program, with funding from the Office of the President and the College of Arts and Sciences. The Symposium on Democracy is free and open to the public.

Film Director Oliver Stone, PBS News Anchor Gwen Ifill to Help Dedicate Kent State Universityâ€™s May 4 Visitors Center

Film director and producer Oliver Stone, and PBS news anchor Gwen Ifill will join Kent State University to mark its 43rd annual commemoration of May 4, 1970, with the dedication of the May 4 Visitors Center. The center, which tells the May 4 story, set against the political and cultural changes of the 1960s, will be dedicated Saturday, May 4, with other traditional commemorative events beginning Friday, May 3.

Kent Stateâ€™s May 4 Visitors Center Opens on Oct. 20

Kent State University will officially open its much-anticipated May 4 Visitors Center on Saturday, Oct. 20, as part of the universityâ€™s Homecoming celebration. The public is invited to experience the centerâ€™s dramatic exhibits at an open house from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Visitors to the open house will receive a special May 4 commemorative gift, while supplies last.

Submit Your Photos for Exhibit in the May 4 Visitors Center

Your photo memories can be a part of the Kent State University May 4 Visitors Center exhibit. Send your photos that show what people looked like, what they experienced and what they cared about in the 1960s. The deadline to submit photos is July 31.

Kent State Holds Events to Commemorate May 4

Kent State University will mark its 42nd annual May 4, 1970, commemoration on May 3 and 4. The commemoration events are an opportunity for students and the community to gather and reflect on the tragedy and adapt the lessons learned to current events.

Democracy and the American Civil War - April 23-25, 2012

Kent State University's 13th annual Symposium on Democracy will be held at the Kent campus on April 23â€“25, 2012. In recognition of the 150th anniversary of the nation's greatest conflict, its theme is â€œDemocracy and the American Civil War.â€ Here's a look at the schedule. All sessions will be held in the Kiva.

NEH Announces $300,000 Grant to Kent State University for May 4 Visitors Center

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has announced a $300,000 grant to Kent State University for its future May 4 Visitors Center. The May 4 Visitors Center was one of 249 humanities projects that will receive support from the independent federal agency

Kent State Commemorates May 4, 1970

As a way for individuals to remember the events of May 4, 1970, Kent State University will host a series of events to reflect on its 41st anniversary of that historic day. The May 4 Walking Tour documentary and the May 4 film for First-Year Experience course are new to this yearâ€™s commemoration. Individuals also will have the opportunity to experience the Symposium on Democracy and the May 4 Commemoration Ceremony, where they can pay their respects and remember the events of May 4, 1970, from noon to 2 p.m.

More Events

Kent State Presents 12th Annual Symposium on Democracy

Kent State Team Honored with Ohio Historic Preservation Award

The Kent State University team responsible for the successful nomination of the site of the May 4, 1970, shootings to the National Register of Historic Places was recently honored with a 2010 Ohio Historic Preservation Merit Award. The awards are presently annually by the Ohio Historic Preservation Office.