Philip Middleton Williams was a high school junior in Toledo, Ohio, when four Kent State University students were shot to death by the Ohio National Guard on May 4, 1970.  Kent State was more than 100 miles away from Williams’ high school and his home in Perrysburg, but the shootings, which wounded nine students, reverberated through his psyche and brought the Vietnam War front and center.  “It flipped a switch for me,” said Williams, 69, who now lives in Palmetto Bay, Florida. “It really hurt; it really touched me. I was opposed to war – I'm a pacifist. I thought an awful lot abou...

Record-breaking fundraising year for university includes two largest gifts in Kent State history Kent State University launched the public phase of its $350 million Forever Brighter comprehensive fundraising campaign in October 2021, and during the first year of the public campaign, a record-breaking $77.6 million was raised. This philanthropic feat was made possible with the support of 10,687 donors, 3,753 of whom made a gift to Kent State for the first time. The gifts will support university programs and its students through scholarships, capital projects, and new academic programs and in...