A Picture of Stanford in Disarray

 Richard Lyman, President Emeritus  of Stanford University  and J.E. Wallace Sterling Professor of Humanities  Emeritus in Stanford's history department, outlines in his recently released book, Stanford in Turmoil Campus Unrest, 1966-1972, a picture of the controversy which erupted on Stanford's campus in response to the Vietnam War. A recent article in Stanford Magazine summarizes the book, giving lengthy excerpts of the text to provide  a peek into the story.

    Stanford in turmoil is a semi-autobiographical work which gives rare personal insights into an important time in Stanford's history.  It not only describes events and situations which helped to forever shape the political atmosphere of Stanford, but also provides a story which is important to the context of the history of the United States. From Professor to Provost, to President, Lyman witnessed a vast change in Stanford. Sparked by the civil rights movement and disdain for the Vietnam War, the uproarious period which Lyman describes included a "half dozen major cases of arson...significant damage to campus buildings" and the summoning of police, repeatedly, to end various sit-ins and disruptions. Lyman recounts how he and faculty were torn over being sympathetic to the protesters and having to make decisions about how to end their violent methods.

    Lyman's personal account of the events which transformed the Stanford campus into a violent protest ground is intriguing not just in reference to the atmosphere at the University itself, but also in consideration of the youth reaction to the Vietnam War in the US from 1966 to 1972.

   "In many ways, Stanford’s experience was the same as that of other campuses. The same self-destructiveness that was noted elsewhere was visible at Stanford on the far Left. As has been said of the Weathermen, there was “a moral urgency that precluded consideration of political effectiveness and a desire to display one’s personal commitment, especially if it involved risk or injury.”

    The book is an exciting story in US history as well as a commentary about cultural response in wartime  from someone who witnessed the turmoil firsthand.

    "Some barriers were broken in those years that have never been restored. Civility returned, for the most part, but formality did not, for better or for worse—mostly I would agree that it’s for the better, but there is more to be said for adhering to some prescribed forms of behavior than our culture is generally willing to admit."