Davidsoniana Files, or "D-Files," primarily contain secondary source information and are housed in Archives and Special Collections. This includes newspaper articles, scanned memos, brochures and pamphlets, memorial speeches, and booklets.
A selection of D-Files related to anti-war activism:
Audio 59-63: Vietnam War at Davidson College
Speakers: Several faculty and staff members, including President Samuel R. Spencer, Dean of Students William H. Terry, and Professor David Kaylor, among others.
Description: Series of oral histories from faculty and staff members about the Vietnam War at Davidson College conducted by John P. Scherer '89 for his Kelley Honors Thesis "A Code of Civility : Anitwar Dissent at Davidson College During the Vietnam Era, 1964-1973."
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Davidson students and alumni both participated in and protested against the Vietnam War. On campus, anti-war efforts included protests against the military draft and demonstrations against the presence of ROTC on campus. The tragic events of Kent State in May 1970, along with the expansion of the war into Cambodia, resulted in increased anti-war sentiments among students. Along with students, several faculty members organized around anti-war movements, including joining national protests and holding peace vigils and teach-ins on campus.
Students protesting the Vietnam War on Main Street (circa 1970s)
Some resources on the Vietnam War at Davidson include:
Campus publications, such as student newspaper The Davidsonian, covered events related to student activism and campus issues. For more information on anti-war demonstrations and the Vietnam War at Davidson College, browse digitized issues of The Davidsonian, online and available in the link below. Individual issues are searchable by keyword.
Select articles related to anti-war demonstrations and the Vietnam War include:
Archival materials are the institutional records of Davidson College from its establishment in 1837 to the present day. Included within the collections are president's office records, academic department files, and student organization records. Listed below is a selection of relevant collections related to the Vietnam War and campus responses during this time. Collections are organized by record group, along with a brief description of the collection's contents, and are hyperlinked to the collection's digital finding aid.
Davidson College Library Research Guides are licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Mailing Address: Davidson College - E.H. Little Library, 209 Ridge Road, Box 5000, Davidson, NC 28035