HIS301: Historical Writing: UB Campus Unrest
Navigating the University Archives for students in HIS301
Last Updated: Nov 8, 2023 3:57 PM
Campus Unrest - An Introduction
Once referred to as the Berkeley of the East, UB has a rich history of activism among its students, faculty, and staff. Throughout the 1960s and into the early 1970s, campus culture was defined by protests—we refer to this time as Campus Unrest. Notable topics of concern amongst the UB community included:
- Anti-Vietnam War sentiment
- Dow Chemical
- Project Themis
- Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC)
- "Buffalo Nine" & "Faculty 45"
- Buffalo Police occupation on campus
- Civil Rights
- Attica Prison Uprising
Images

UB Marching Band performs “Give Peace a Chance” at UB v. Holy Cross, October 31, 1970. #PA_3627_3A.

Student protesters occupy Hayes Hall, March 19, 1969. #UA_90A_2_5

Acting President Regan and other administrators discuss ROTC, March 3, 1970. #RG-9-6-00-2_1970_080_1

Tear gas on campus near Foster Hall, May 5, 1970. #UA_90A_23_1

Hayes Hall Blockade, March 5, 1970. #UA_90A_12_1

Buffalo Police gathering in Clark Gym, March 8, 1970. #UA_90A_13_22

Students and faculty marching in protest of Buffalo Police occupation, March 8, 1970. #UA_90A_13_4

Buffalonian yearbook page showing arrested and injured protesters, March 12, 1970. #RG9-6-00-2_1970_083
Online Resources
Use the following resources to supplement your primary source research.
- Campus Unrest Guide
- Includes a comprehensive timeline of Campus Unrest events, as well as a list of archival collections
- UB Digital Collections
- Buffalonian yearbooks - Click on yearbooks 1969-1971 to get a glimpse into student life during this time
- University Archives Historical Film Collection - Search for the word "protest" to see film of protest events on campus
- UB Spectrum (1955-1979) via NYS Historic Newspapers
- Full-text searchable database, allowing you browse issues of the Spectrum, 1955-1979
- Navigate to the search bar to conduct an advanced search
- Finding Aids database
- Finding aids are documents that describe/list the items in archival collections
- Navigate to the link to conduct a search for a subject or topic to reveal relevant collections in the University Archives
- If you see the description of an item you would like to view, contact lib-archives@buffalo.edu
Recommended Collections
Please use these recommend resources to identify a collection or primary source of interest for your project. You can also conduct your own keyword search via our Finding Aids Database. If you see the description of an item you would like to view, contact lib-archives@buffalo.edu.
- 3/5/33: Campus Unrest at the State University of New York at Buffalo records, 1965-1990
- 3/5/108: UB Today Article on Campus Unrest and Reader Reaction, 1968-2005
- 3/5/570m: Support Your Campus Police Treasurer's records, 1967-1968
- 3/5/779: Faculty 45 files, 1969-1972
- 3/5/821: Paul Krehbiel Campus Unrest collection, 1968-2000 [bulk 1968-1970]
- 3/5/897: Campus Unrest: Research conducted by Dean G. Pruitt and James Gahagan, Psychology Department, 1967-1972, 1975
- 3/5/974: Campus Unrest Individual Collections records, 1969-2004
- 3/5/1369: Richard A. Siggelkow Campus Unrest collection, 1959-1991
- 4/10/9: Martin Meyerson speeches and statements, 1966-1970
- 8/8/975: Squire Hall Demonstrations records, 1981-1983
- 9/1/64: Graduate Student Association records, 1963-1970
- University Archives Historical Film Collection "protest films"