The Kent State May 4 Task Force, a student-led organization that honors the memory of the Kent State shootings on May 4, 1970, held presentations on the history of the May 4 memorial April 9.
As students and faculty walked to and from class, they could stop by the memorial for a brief presentation on how the memorial came about.
The granite structure was dedicated in 1990, but it did not come without controversy. Some opposed the memorial because they believed the students being honored had engaged in violence. The design of the structure came from a contest, but it was the second place design. The first place designer was not selected because they were not American.
“We’re kind of going through each step of the chronology to be able to just educate people about what happened with the memorial and why it looks the way it does today,” said May 4 Task Force co-chair Audrey King.
May 4 Task Force members said they hope participants in the program leave with the realization of how special it is that the memorial exists and can see all of the steps it took for the memorial to become what it is now.
KSTV Reporter Tatum Werntz has more on this educational campus event.
Tatum Werntz is a reporter for KSTV. Contact her at [email protected].
Harry Humphrey • Apr 15, 2026 at 10:34 am
Check into the second place design. It originally called for “rooms” to be created in the hillside. This was changed because it was believed this would create a possible security issue on campus for students walking through that area after dark.
Harry Humphrey Class of ’88.