Those 17 acres represent the location of the historic events of May 4, 1970, where protesting students, observers and soldiers gathered on that fateful day when the Ohio National Guard shot and killed four students and wounded nine others.
In 2010, the May 4 site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, which is comprised of 90,000 locations associated with events that contributed significantly to U.S. history. Then in 2016, Kent State’s May 4 site joined a much more select group as it was designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior. Only 2,500 historic places share this national distinction; the May 4 site is one of 76 such locations in Ohio.
As part of the 48th annual May 4 Commemoration, Kent State will formally recognize and celebrate this National Historic Landmark designation during a special dedication ceremony at the Kent Student Center Kiva on Friday, May 4, at 3:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Attendees are asked to register online.
Former Ohio Gov. Richard “Dick” Celeste will serve as keynote speaker at the event. Kent State President Beverly J. Warren; Lawrence Pollock, chair of the Kent State University Board of Trustees; and Todd Diacon, Kent State’s executive vice president and provost, will provide remarks at the ceremony.
