2018 marks the 50th anniversary of a series of student-led demonstrations that rocked Delaware State College. I could not have let the year go by without mentioning the historical moments that continue to be among those most widely discussed and debated.
Please note, as an archivist, I am predisposed to base my research in the documentary evidence of the past. Written word does not have a fallible memory. In this case, however, to rely purely on paper would result in a one-sided story because the majority of DSU's archival records are created by administrators. In order to hear the students' voices I had to have a conversation, 50 years after the fact, with those who led and participated in the demonstrations. Because memories have faded, I was unable to find the answers to all my questions. The following narrative is what I have pieced together, but I cannot not declare it the "gospel truth." If you were a Delaware State University student in 1968 I would relish the opportunity to hear your accounts. You may be the key to further understanding this very complex and often confusing series of events.
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In 1968 the country was in the midst of the civil rights movement. Delaware State College students were frustrated not only by the political and social climes of the nation, but also of the college. They sought a number of campus changes - less restrictive visitation rights between male and female dormitories, the removal of rodents from their residences, extended library hours, the development of black studies academic courses, and a greater sense of community with the citizens of Dover.
In March 1968 DSC students held a one-day boycott in support of their demands. According to newspaper articles written in the week following, 800 students skipped their 8 a.m. classes to come together in Delaware Hall. After a brief meeting they proceeded to Grossley Hall which was at that time the administration building. President Luna I. Mishoe (father of our current president) was abroad in Europe, but Nathaniel E. Tillman, acting academic dean, agreed to meet with the students at 10 a.m. By all accounts, the boycott was orderly and successful. The News Journal from March 23, 1968 said that both the students and administrators, "provided a textbook example ...of the most effective way to survive a demonstration." In the end, the college agreed to review and correct the rodent situation, open the library an additional two hours on weekdays, and permit visitation by women to the men's dormitories on Sunday afternoons. No disciplinary action was taken against any of the students.
After such a successful outcome it unclear why, just five days later, on March 25 the female students held a sing-in to protest their curfew. The residents of Tubman Hall, who were expected to be in their rooms by 10:00 p.m. left shortly after to gather at the MLK Student Center. At 11:00 they left the student center and headed to the on-campus apartment of Mrs. Dorothy Harris, Dean of Students. For the next forty-five minutes they sang popular civil rights movement songs and college cheers.
It seems that this time around, the proceedings were more disruptive. Stones were thrown on Dean Harris' porch and the dormitory sign-out sheets were vandalized. Additionally, a fire started in a maintenance building at midnight. Although there was no reason to suspect foul-play, the newspapers reported the student demonstration and the fire jointly. This cast a pall over the events.
Over the course of the next several months, I do not know what the relationship between students and administrators was like. I also don't know which of the student demands, if any, were met. I can guess however, that the students continued to face some of the same frustrations as well as some new ones. In May of 1968 it all came to a head, and this is where it can get confusing...
In 1967 DSC constructed a new student center and a men's dormitory. By the spring of 1968 neither one had as yet been named, and students had opinions on the matter. In light of Martin Luther King's assassination in April, the students felt strongly that the student center should be named in honor of Dr. King. They additionally wanted the dormitory to be named after Medgar Evers. They went so far as to send a written petition to President Mishoe. Evidently he agreed with their choice and recommended to the Board of Trustees that the building be dedicated in Dr. King's name.
I can only guess that the students never received word from the board as to this decision. I have spoken to the 1968 President of the Student Government Association and numerous other students present at the time. None of them can recall being informed. At the same time, however, the secretaries in President Mishoe's office definitively remember ordering programs in advance of the dedication celebration which clearly stated the name of the student center.
Here's what I know happened: On May 10, 1968, President Mishoe, Governor Charles Terry, members of the Board, and other distinguished guests took to the platform to begin the dedication program. The Governor was just about to begin his address when a rowdy, but small, group of students marched across campus chanting "Student Power!" The SGA president pushed aside the Governor proceeded to name the dormitory and student center.
Disciplinary action against the students was swift. All the participants in the demonstration were suspended until such a time as they submitted a letter of apology. This course of action by college administrators only incited the larger student body. One week after the dedication, the student body once again occupied Grossley Hall to protest the disciplinary action and again raise the issue of library hours, dormitory visitation, the rats in their living areas, and, this time, the development of a black studies program.
When Governor Terry heard word of the secondary student demonstration he dispatched the National Guard and State Police. The National Guard had been present in Wilmington as a result of severe rioting, but after the directive from the Governor, they quickly mobilized and relocated to Dover. Armed men with police dogs and tanks (this sounds like an exaggeration to me, but what do I know) stormed the DSC campus. Upon seeing this, the students agreed to walk peacefully to the student center where they met with President Mishoe. Ultimately, the remainder of the semester was cancelled and the students were sent home. Commencement was also cancelled, but it was later quietly held off campus.
In the end, the students demands were largely met including the naming of the student center and dormitory in accordance with their wishes. The students wrote their letters of apology and were allowed to return to school the following fall. Unfortunately, Leroy Tate, the SGA president was suspended indefinitely. A year later, President Mishoe was gracious enough to work with him to devise a way that would allow him to be readmitted to Delaware State College. Ultimately, Tate chose not to return.
In 2003 the class of 1968 returned to the campus of Delaware State University to officially hold their commencement. In 2010 when a newer student center replaced the old one, Leroy Tate was invited to join the platform party for the dedication in a jovial moment of reconciliation. Today, at nearly every alumni gathering the 1968 demonstrations continue to dominate the "remember when..." conversations.
What do you remember? Did I get it right? I'd love to hear from you! Drop me a line at rscherry@desu.edu. You are also welcome to come view the many archival documents pertaining to this era. I've included just a small sample below. Click on each photo to enlarge it.
The William C. Jason Library is named in honor of Delaware State University's longest serving president. President Jason's tenure, from 1895 to 1923, was punctuated by expansive growth of both the student body and campus infrastructure. His achievement is fully appreciated with the recognition that, despite being a public school, financial support from Delaware State was initially insufficient.
The money was frugally applied to the construction of a chapel (left). In lieu of hiring laborers, the professors of the industrial arts program developed courses around the chapel's construction. Additionally, bricks from the slave quarters of the Loockerman plantation were recycled to lessen the cost of materials.
