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By the 1960s, the station sorely needed a technical overhaul. WRUC hoped to become an FM station, however, such a system required the approval of both the FCC and Union’s Board of Trustees. In 1963, the Board of Trustees denied the station’s proposal to become an FM station.(24)
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The first broadcasts of the Radio Club consisted of sending transmissions in Morse code and streaming phonograph records, and soon after it began broadcasting campus events such as athletic games and dances. Call letters were changed to W2XBN for a few years and changed to W2GSB in 1932.(11) The Radio Club engaged in famous historic events, such as, on May 6, 1921, a live broadcast from an antenna rigged up to a baby carriage and wheeled through downtown Schenectady. This was quite possibly the world’s first portable broadcast receiver.(12)
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To celebrate the 101st anniversary of WRUC, we offer this exhibit highlighting the importance of Union College’s radio history. This was the first radio station in New York State and one of the earliest in the nation. We hope you are inspired to tune in at 89.7 FM.
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exhibit banner for Night of the Living Radio
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This exhibit was inspired by the 50 year anniversary of coeducation and celebrates the impact women have made throughout the course of Union's history. Women have long been involved in the history of this institution, influencing its structure through contributions to areas such as labor, finances, and educational developments, among others. These contributions have not always been at the forefront of the historical record, but they have been instrumental, visible or not.
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Union was the first liberal arts college to offer engineering in the United States. To celebrate 175 years of engineering education, the Special Collections and Archives Department of Schaffer Library has put together a digital exhibition which explores how the discipline of engineering influenced and shaped the College’s reputation as a partner in modern science and technology - from the 19th century to the present day. In addition, engineering alumni will be able to share their personal experiences to be kept for posterity.
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The goal of the exhibit is to recognize the sisterhood of students whose accomplishments have helped shaped Union’s success. With courage and commitment, these women and others, alongside students of color, helped build the foundation for a more diverse student body, faculty and leadership at Union College. Today, women represent 47 percent of enrolled students.
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13 March 1954:
The Viet Minh, a group formed by Ho Chi Minh to fight for Vietnam's independence from France, begin their siege on the French Garrison at Dien Bien Phu. By early May, the Viet Minh take control of the base.
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This exhibit case displays various media that fights against going to war in Vietnam.
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This exhibit case displays various media that fights against going to war in Vietnam.
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This exhibit case displays various media that fights against going to war in Vietnam.
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This exhibit case displays various media that fights against going to war in Vietnam.
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The decade of 1965 to 1975 brought with it campus protests that ranged from large to small, peaceful to violent. Student activists protested issues relating to civil rights, race and gender, poverty, and the Vietnam War. During larger protests, students even occupied campus buildings, essentially shutting down parts of the school in an effort to bring about change. While most colleges and universities experienced some level of protests in this era, some in particular encountered larger, more violent movements, including Columbia University; Cornell University; Harvard University; Jackson State University; Kent State University; University of California, Berkeley; University of Georgia; University of Michigan; and University of Texas at Austin. University of California, Berkeley’s protest movements gained ground with the Free Speech Movement starting in 1964. In May of 1965, the first teach-ins at Berkeley attracted around 35,000 participants in 36 hours. The next few years saw continued protest: on October 23, 1968, Berkeley students barricaded themselves in a building to protest the Regents’ refusal to allow Black Panther leader Eldridge Cleaver to teach a course. By February 1969, California governor Ronald Reagan had declared “a state of extreme emergency” on the UC Berkeley campus. Demonstrations took a tragic turn at Kent State University and Jackson State University in May 1970. On May 4th, around 3,000 demonstrators and 1,000 Ohio National Guardsmen gathered on Kent State’s campus. While it remains unclear if the troops were given an order to shoot, Guardsmen opened fire and 4 students were shot and killed. Dubbed the Kent State Massacre, it inspired 4.35 million students at 1,350 universities to participate in demonstrations in the days that followed. One such protest occurred at Jackson State. Rioting on campus during the night of May 14th brought police to the scene to disperse crowds. As the police approached Alexander Hall, they fired into the building, killing 2 and wounding 12 others. It is also worth pointing out the difference in media attention that these two campus attacks received; Kent State, a predominantly white university, gained significantly more press nationwide than Jackson State, a largely African-American university.
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Its been 50 years since President Nixon announced the U.S. invasion of Cambodia, igniting a protest of Union students through downtown Schenectady in the spring of 1970. The era of the Vietnam War brought with it an unprecedented wave of campus protests at universities across the country and Union experienced its own fair share of reactions to the war, counter culture, and going co-educational. This exhibit, using Union College as a case study, examines the importance of protests on college campuses during this time period. By shedding light on the various protests at Union during these years, current student visitors will be able to compare and contrast their experiences. What made this era unique? What are campus protests like today? While not as intense as protests at Kent State University or UC Berkeley, those at Union College during this decade affected students personally, took various shapes and forms, and fueled a strong generation of student activists. While not every student at Union considered themselves an activist, a large percentage of the student body was active in some way for various campus protests during these years. In addition, anti-war protests were not the only campus protests to take place. Previous decades also brought with them the Civil Rights Movement and the Feminist Movement that affected Union students as well.
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Union students march towards the Schenectady Selective Service System office from General Electric (seen in the background). Credit: Dr. Lester Kritzer ’73
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Union College students march from campus. Their route included: Nott Terrace, State Street, Schenectady Community College, General Electric, Schenectady Selective Service System offices, and the intersection of State Street and Erie Boulevard. Credit: Dr. Lester Kritzer ’73.
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Father James Murphy, Chaplain of Union College, speaks to demonstrators. Credit: Dr. Lester Kritzer ’73.
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Unrest breaks out among crowds at graduation. Memorial Chapel is seen in the background. Credit: Special Collections, Photographer Unknown.
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Professor Ted Bick ’58 in the Mathematics Department attempts to steal the flag from Peskin. Credit: Special Collections, Photographer Unknown.
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Dennis Peskin ’66, teaching in the English department at the time, carries a Vietcong flag into the Commencement ceremony. Credit: Special Collections, Photographer Unknown.
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exhibit banner for Hell No, We Won't Go!
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