May 4 Information

Every spring, the School of Peace and Conflict Studies offers a course entitled "May 4 1970 and Its Aftermath," listed as PACS 30000 and POL 30000 in the schedule of classes.

With the 50th anniversary of the Kent State shootings in 2020, the university dedicated a portion of their website to May 4 commemoration information, as well as information about the history, legacy, resources, and other news.  

• Remembering May 4 - special exhibits honoring the lives of Sandy Scheuer, Bill Schroeder, Allison Krause and Jeff Miller
• May 4, 1970 Home Page
• May 4, 50th Commemoration Home Page

Additional Resources

• SPCS Assistant Professor Sara Koopman and Geography Associate Professor Jen Mapes created a web app, released in 2020, utilizing the May 4 oral histories to map stories to particular places in Kent.  Explore the Mapping May 4 project.
• The May 4 Visitors Center is a central location for seeing, hearing and exploring the context and events related to May 4, 1970.
• Learn more about May 4 and its history.
  • May 4, 1970 History
  • May 4 Memorials
  • The May 4 Shootings at Kent State University:  The Search for Historical Accuracy (Hensley & Lewis)
  • May 4 Archives
  • May 4 Chronology
  • May 4 Annotated Bibliographies

Scholarship Opportunities

• May 4th Legacy Scholarships for Peace and Conflict Studies Majors - Details to be posted soon!
• May 4 Commemorative Student Activism Scholarship
  • Student activists may qualify for a special scholarship that was created in response to the events of May 4, 1970.  The May 4 Commemorative Student Activism Scholarship is awarded to a deserving student by the May 4 Task Force each year.   To be considered, students must be active on the Kent State campus and write a reflective paper about the events of May 4, 1970 (minimum of 5 pages).  You can get more information by going to the Kent State Scholarship Search Page and searching for “May 4 Commemorative”.  With your online application, you would need to attach the reflective essay, along with a statement outlining the activism you’ve been involved with on campus.  (The instructions on the Financial Aid site may not be entirely clear that the activism statement needs to be included, but it is an important component of the application.)  The application deadline is usually April 1 each year.  (Be sure to check the information on the Financial Aid site for at the most current information about deadlines and requirements.)