Kent State University has announced several special moments will be part of its 56th commemmoration of the day when the Ohio National Guard opened fire on Kent State students on May 4, 1970, during an anti-war protest on campus.
Four students died, and nine others were shot that day.
This year’s May 4 Commemoration will include special remembrances of John Cleary, one of the nine wounded students who died Oct. 25, 2025, and Jerry M. Lewis, professor emeritus of Sociology, who served as a faculty marshal during the shootings and worked tirelessly to ensure that the legacy of May 4 would endure. Lewis died Feb. 11, 2026.
The events also will include the debut of a collection of items owned by the late Alan Canfora, another wounded student. Canfora’s family donated what they describe as the largest-known private collection of May 4 documents and materials.
Other events are scheduled throughout the days leading up to May 4, at Kent State and in the city:
Friday, May 1
Saturday, May 2
Sunday, May 3
Monday, May 4
The May 4 Commemoration livestream can be viewed at www.kent.edu/may4. Find the latest information about the commemoration and events planned on the same webpage.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Kent State May 4 events to include debut of Alan Canfora collection
Reporting by April Helms, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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