On May 4, 1970, National Guard troops opened fire on Kent State University students protesting renewed bombing of North Vietnam and the incursion of American troops into neighboring Cambodia. Four students were killed. Campuses across the country erupted in fury. Just two months after his inauguration, President Kemeny faced his first major challenge. He responded by closing the College for a week, to allow discussion to hold sway over passion. "There comes a time," he said in a radio address to the community, "when there are priorities over and beyond that which we have traditionally considered the fundamental purpose of the institution." The move provoked outrage in some quarters. "Dartmouth has just bought another lemon," sniffed the Manchester (NH) Union Leader - but the campus remained peaceful (and lemons, for a time, became a new symbol of Dartmouth unity).

READ MORE: Kemeny's May 4, 1970 radio address to the Dartmouth community (This document is in PDF format. See page 14 of the text.)