Campus Alert Archive
Ohio State

OSU's Longest Shutdown: Buckshot, Bayonets, and the National Guard Close Ohio State for Nearly Two Weeks

OHcivil unrestemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

Beginning April 29, 1970, massive student protests at The Ohio State University over President Nixon's announcement of the U.S. invasion of Cambodia escalated into days of confrontations in which Columbus police fired buckshot into crowds, wounding seven, and Governor Rhodes deployed 5,000 National Guard troops with fixed bayonets. On May 5-6, 1970, OSU President Fawcett closed the university, ordering 45,000 students to leave campus within 24 hours. It was the longest campus closure in OSU history, spanning nearly two weeks.

Alerts
4
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
50
Institution
The Ohio State University
Public R1 · OH
~45,000 students
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

4 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTSiren
Approximate reconstruction225 chars
Attention all students: Police are responding to civil disturbances near the campus core. There is tear gas deployed on campus. All students must clear the Oval and surrounding streets immediately. Return to your dormitories.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

On April 29, 1970, Columbus police in riot gear fired tear gas to disperse a crowd of 3,000 students organized by the Ad Hoc Committee on Student Rights; police escalated to firing buckshot at the crowd, wounding seven people
The 3,000-person crowd grew to 6,000 within hours even after tear gas was deployed, demonstrating the inadequacy of pre-modern alert and crowd-control approaches
A bomb detonated in Brown Hall during the initial April 29 protests; the National Guard was deployed to Ohio State before Kent State, beginning May 1
UPDATEPA System
Approximate reconstruction251 chars
Ohio National Guardsmen have shot and killed students at Kent State University. All campus functions are suspended by student strike. The National Guard remains deployed on this campus. Students are urged to remain calm and to stay away from the Oval.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

When news of the four Kent State killings reached Ohio State on May 4, campus functions were immediately and completely shut down by the student strike, with strikers physically preventing nonparticipating students from entering buildings
By May 4, the National Guard had already been on Ohio State's campus for days; the Kent State news triggered violent clashes as rage overtook the crowd
Student strikers who had previously tolerated students crossing picket lines to attend class began physically fighting with classmates who refused to join the strike after Kent State
UPDATEradio
Approximate reconstruction301 chars
Ohio State University is hereby closed by order of President Fawcett on the recommendation of Governor Rhodes. All students not residing in university housing must leave campus by noon tomorrow. Those in dormitories should remain in their rooms. The university will remain closed until further notice.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

At 5:30 PM on May 5, protesters gathered in front of the Administration Building and the National Guard pushed them back with rifles and bayonets; the crowd responded with bricks and rocks before Fawcett announced the closure
The closure order gave off-campus students 24 hours to leave; 45,000 students were affected in what became the longest shutdown in Ohio State history
Governor Rhodes subsequently deployed 5,000 National Guard troops to Ohio State when some students returned on May 19, the largest single Guard deployment to any Ohio campus during the spring 1970 unrest
ALL CLEARradio
Approximate reconstruction196 chars
Ohio State University will reopen today under National Guard supervision. Students may return to campus. All students must comply with Guard directives. Classes will resume on a modified schedule.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

When some students returned on May 19, Governor Rhodes quickly deployed 5,000 National Guard troops to Ohio State, running checkpoints around the university in what the OSU Spring of Dissent archive calls a 'complete lockdown'
The reopening was tense; some returning students faced Guard checkpoints and continued harassment before the situation stabilized later in May
Ohio State's nearly two-week closure, May 5-19, remained the longest involuntary shutdown in the university's history as of the Spring of Dissent archival project's 2020 documentation
Context

Background

The Ohio State 1970 student strike began April 29 when Columbus police fired buckshot into protesters outside campus, wounding seven. By May 1, the National Guard was already patrolling Ohio State. When news of the Kent State killings on May 4 reached Columbus, the campus erupted: functions shut down entirely, strikers physically blocked buildings, and violent clashes broke out. On May 5-6, facing what one account described as 'the not-unrealistic threat of Ohio State burning to the ground,' President Fawcett announced the university would close, ordering 45,000 students to leave campus. The closure lasted nearly two weeks, May 5-19, the longest in Ohio State history. When students returned on May 19, Governor Rhodes deployed 5,000 National Guard troops, who ran checkpoints around the entire university. In all, about 50 people were injured across the protests. No students died at Ohio State itself, but the events were inextricably linked to Kent State, sixty miles away, where four students had been killed by the same Guard units that were now patrolling Columbus. No electronic mass notification system existed at Ohio State in 1970; warnings reached students through campus sirens, PA systems, radio broadcasts, and in-person faculty announcements.
Analysis

Key Findings

Columbus police fired live buckshot into OSU protesters on April 29, 1970, wounding seven, before any shots were fired at Kent State
The university closure announced May 5-6, 1970, affecting 45,000 students, was the longest involuntary shutdown in Ohio State history
No electronic mass notification system existed at Ohio State in 1970; warnings relied on sirens, PA systems, radio, and word of mouth
Governor Rhodes deployed 5,000 National Guard troops to Ohio State on May 19 when students returned, running checkpoints around the entire campus perimeter
Outcome
The university reopened May 19 after the National Guard withdrew. About 50 people were injured across the unrest, including 18 students, 25 police officers, and several bystanders. No students died at OSU, though the campus closures were directly triggered by the Kent State killings 60 miles away on May 4.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
    Spring of Dissent: 1970 Ohio State Student Demonstrations - Ohio State University Libraries
    library.osu.edu
  2. Source
    Ohio State's Student Strike of 1970 - The Cardinal Substack
    thecardinal.substack.com
  3. Official
    Kent State after Fifty Years - Origins OSU
    origins.osu.edu
  4. Student Paper
    1970 protests erupted across Ohio, tear gas at OSU - The Lantern
    thelantern.com
Tags
civil-unrestprotestcampus-closurenational-guardvietnam-erapre-cleryno-alert-system1970historicalohiostudent-strikekent-state-aftermath
Added June 2026Updated June 2026Via ingestion