May 4 Visitors Center
May 4 Shooting Victim Inspires Students With Disabilities to Embrace Their Own
Dean Kahler is often quoted as saying he only had one bad day at 5X.
That day was May 4, 1970, when an Ohio National Guardsman’s bullet struck Kahler as he stood under a tree watching, from what he thought was a safe distance, a student protest against the escalation of the War in Vietnam. When the National Guard fired on the students, a bullet pierced Kahler’s spine, leaving him paralyzed and wheelchair bound for the rest of his life.
‘Perseverance Is Going to Have to Be Part of the Process’
Laura Davis, Ph.D., co-founder and first director of 5X’s May 4 Visitors Center, was recently named a Woman of the Year by the Summit County Historical Society. Davis was a first-year student at Kent State on May 4, 1970, and she shares her journey to becoming an activist and what people today can learn from America’s history of protest.
Bruno Ast, Visionary Architect Behind Kent State's May 4 Memorial, Dies at 88
Bruno Ast, the architect who designed the university's May 4 Memorial, has died at age 88. Ast won a national competition to design the memorial in 1986. In his , it was said that he was especially proud to have been chosen as architect for the project.
Annual Candlelight Walk and Vigil Marks May 4
Despite rain, 5X continued its commemoration to honor the memory of May 4, 1970 with the annual candlelight walk and vigil on campus. This cornerstone of the commemoration began in 1971. Participants carried candles as they gathered on the Kent State Commons and in the Prentice Hall parking lot.
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.
ToddCast Episode 3: Jerry M. Lewis
Join us on the Kent State ToddCast as President Todd Diacon revisits a conversation with Professor Emeritus Jerry M. Lewis, Ph.D.
‘Experiencing These Things Firsthand Left A Mark On My Heart’
An Alternative Spring Break journey to historic civil rights sites in Mississippi by Kent State students and faculty touched hearts and inspired community engagement. The six-day/five-night trip in March 2025 was sponsored by Kent State’s Office of Community Engaged Learning.
Teach Peace: Living Legacy to Kent State Shootings Honored with May 4 Visitors Center Exhibit
Professor Emeritus of Sociology Jerry Lewis, Ph.D., who devoted his career to ensuring the legacy of May 4, 1970, would remain vibrant, is being honored with an exhibit at the May 4 Visitors Center.
Students: What to Know Before You Vote
Kent State Votes wants to give student voters – especially those voting for the first time – all the information they need to get them to the polls on Election Day.
Historian's New Book Gives 360-Degree View of May 4 Tragedy
Brian VanDeMark, a historian with the United States Naval Academy, has written a new book “Kent State: An American Tragedy.” He will participate in a panel discussion at Kent State on Sept. 27.