May 4

National Guard personnel walk with weapons and jeeps in a line on May 4, 1970, at Kent State University. (Photo credit: News Service May 4 photographs, Kent State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives)

Historian Who Recorded Guardsmen’s Voices to Speak at Kent State’s 2026 Jerry M. Lewis May 4 Lecture Series

David Strittmatter, associate professor of history at Ohio Northern University, has been selected as the 2026 speaker for the fifth annual Jerry M. Lewis May 4 Lecture Series. He will share firsthand oral histories from Ohio National Guardsmen who were present during the May 4, 1970, shootings at Kent State University.

Tags: May 4 , University News , University Libraries

Kent State Today

Friends hug while members of the Kent State University community and visitors gather on the Kent State Commons for the annual May 4 Commemoration to honor those who were killed and wounded on May 4, 1970. (Photo credit: Bob Christy, Kent State University)

Kent State Remembers May 4, 1970, With 56th Commemoration

This year’s May 4 Commemoration, to be held May 1-4, 2026, will include special remembrances of John Cleary, one of the nine wounded students, and Jerry M. Lewis, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Sociology, who served as a faculty marshal during the campus shootings and worked tirelessly to ensure that the legacy of May 4 would endure. 

Tags: University News , Nationally Distinctive , May 4 , May 4 Commemoration

Kent State Today

Jesse Jackson at Kent State in May 1971.

IN A FLASH: Remembering Jesse Jackson at Kent State

Kent State University honors the memory of the Rev. Jesse Jackson and remembers his visits to our campuses over the years.

Tags: Black History Month , Black United Students , May 4 , Community & Society , Nationally Distinctive , In a Flash

Kent State Today

Jerry M Lewis standing in front of the May 4th site

Jerry M. Lewis, Kent State Professor Emeritus and Tireless May 4 Advocate, Dies at 88

Jerry M. Lewis, Ph.D., Kent State University Professor Emeritus of Sociology, who served as a faculty marshal during the May 4, 1970, campus shootings and later worked tirelessly to ensure that the legacy of May 4 would endure, died Wednesday, Feb. 11, at his home in Maine. He was 88.  

Tags: University News , May 4 , Nationally Distinctive

Kent State Today

Daffodil Hill planting Veterans Day 2025

IN A FLASH: Digging In To Honor Veterans

Snowy weather and cold temperatures didn't stop volunteers from taking part in the annual Veterans Day tradition of bulb-planting on Daffodil Hill.

Tags: Nationally Distinctive , Community & Society , Veterans Day , ROTC , May 4 , In a Flash

Kent State Today

John Cleary

Remembering John Cleary

A Kent State University student whose darkest day was seen around the world on the cover of Life magazine has died. John Cleary, 74, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, passed away Oct. 25 at his home surrounded by his loving family.

Tags: University News , May 4

Kent State Today

May 4 2025 near Don Drumm's "Heart of Steel" metal sculpture

IN A FLASH: A Memorable Commemoration

The 55-year commemoration of the tragic events of May 4, 1970 at Kent State included an extensive schedule of presentations, the annual candlelight walk and vigil and the commemoration ceremonies on May 4. 

Tags: May 4 , May 4 Commemoration , Community & Society , Community Impact , In a Flash

Kent State Today

Associate Professor of Geography Jennifer Mapes delivers the Jerry M. Lewis Lecture on May 2, 2025.

‘It Was Time for Me to Go Home’ – Geography Professor Combed May 4 Oral Histories in Search of Shared Humanity

Kent State University Associate Professor of Geography Jennifer Mapes, Ph.D., has studied the events of May 4, 1970, through the lens of a map maker. 

Tags: Community Impact , May 4 , Community & Society , Research & Science , Nationally Distinctive

Kent State Today

Candlelight Walk and Vigil 2024

IN A FLASH: It's Not Just One Day

Remembering May 4, 1970 at Kent State is not confined to just the events around the annual commemoration on campus, but is part of living and learning at Kent State throughout the year.

Tags: May 4 , May 4 Visitors Center , Nationally Distinctive , School of Theatre and Dance , Community & Society , In a Flash

Kent State Today

May 4 Commemoration graphic

Kent State Remembers May 4, 1970, With 55th Commemoration

Kent State University will hold its annual commemoration to honor the memory of May 4, 1970 – a tragic day when the Ohio National Guard opened fire on Kent State 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. 

Tags: University News , Nationally Distinctive , May 4 , May 4 Commemoration

Kent State Today