50 years ago: Old Sem takeover

On April 20, 1968, Calvin Trillin wrote an article in The New Yorker about Cornell, dubbing it “The Last Peaceful Place” and associating it with “the idyllic college life.”

Not all Cornellians at the time felt life was idyllic for them, however, and students invested in social justice took action to engage Cornell’s president to advocate for black students on campus.

The students requested President Stumpf investigate issues of concern to black students, and to reinforce their point, on Oct. 17, 1968, they occupied Old Sem to draw attention to their demands for a black activities center, black speakers at convocations, courses on the black experience, and an increase in black staff and faculty.

It is now half a century since the Old Sem takeover and the remembrance of social activism on campus is worthy of reflection as we consider history’s ripples on today and on our future.

Timeline of events

• May 1968: Three black students send President Stumpf a letter requesting he form a committee to investigate issues of concern to black students
• September 1968: President Stumpf invites all black students to meet with him at his home for an informal discussion
  • A few black students ask Stumpf to postpone the discussion until all the black students are in agreement on the goals of the discussion
  • Stumpf doesn’t cancel the gathering citing personal invitations had already been sent
  • 25 students attend Stumpf’s meeting
• Early October: Three students write a statement outlining what they want to discuss with Stumpf, to which Stumpf responds they could resume discussions once he returns from a trip

• 5:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 17:
  • Several students break a window and enter Old Sem.
  • They usher a custodian out of the building and barricade all but one of the outside doors
  • More students join them, bringing the total to 33 demonstrators
  • Meanwhile, the custodian notifies authorities
• 6 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 17:
  • Stumpf and Office of Student Affairs deans attempt to negotiate with the students
• Thursday, Oct. 17:
  • 9 a.m. Doyle Raglon ’70 comes out of the building and addresses the gathered crowd, explaining the purpose of the takeover and the group’s demands
    • No sanctions imposed on demonstrators (Stumpf refused)
    • Establishment of black activities center
    • Minimum of 10 percent of speakers and entertainers at convocations be black
    • Courses in the black experience and culture be added to the curriculum
    • Increased efforts to add black faculty and staff
  • 3 faculty members enter Old Sem to try to convince the demonstrators to exit the building and warn them that law enforcement officials had arrived to repossess the building
  • Raglon and a few other students come out to talk to the sheriff and Stumpf
  • Raglon re-enters the building and a few minutes later leads the demonstrators out, whereupon they are arrested and charged with unlawful assembly
• Nov. 22: College authorities find the students guilty of interfering with the operations and activities of the college and place them on disciplinary probation for the rest of the academic year
• Feb. 7, 1969: Mount Vernon justice of the peace finds the students guilty of unlawful assembly and fines them each $25 and costs, the fine to be suspended on 30 days of good behavior; the three non-students are fined $50 and costs, with no provision for suspension