The Willard Straight Hall Takeover at Cornell University in 1969 was a pivotal moment in the history of student protests and the civil rights movement. The event occurred in Ithaca, New York, between April 19 and April 20, 1969. The primary reason for the protest was to address the racism experienced by African American students at Cornell at the time.
On April 18, 1969, around 3 a.m., a burning cross was discovered on the lawn of Wari House, a dormitory for African American women on campus. The following morning, members of the Afro-American Society (AAS) occupied Willard Straight Hall to protest Cornell’s systemic racism, its judicial practices, and its slow progress in establishing a Black Studies program. At 9:40 a.m., white members of the Delta Upsilon fraternity attempted to reclaim the building from the AAS protesters. A physical altercation ensued, prompting some Black students to arm themselves in self-defense against potential further attacks.
Throughout the day and evening, the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), a student activist group led by C. David Burak, played a key role in supporting AAS. They organized a picket in front of the hall’s main entrance, forming a circle of approximately 50 marchers to show solidarity and maintain pressure during the protest. The following day, Cornell University Vice President for Public Affairs Steven Muller negotiated an end to the standoff with AAS. Photographer Steve Starr captured a now-famous image of protesters exiting Willard Straight Hall carrying rifles and bandoliers. The photograph garnered national attention and won the Pulitzer Prize for photography the following year.
The Willard Straight Hall Takeover led to major institutional changes at Cornell, including the formation of the University Senate, a restructuring of the Board of Trustees, the establishment of a new campus judicial system, and the founding of the Africana Studies and Research Center. The protest also prompted the resignation of University President James Perkins.
One year later, the Africana Center was destroyed in an arson attack believed to be racially motivated. The takeover also contributed to the enactment of the Henderson Law by the New York State Legislature, requiring colleges to adopt “Rules of the Maintenance of Public Order.” The Takeover also drew national commentary: Vice President Spiro Agnew referenced it in speeches which criticized the growing influence of the political Left on college campuses. Economist Thomas Sowell also criticized the protest, arguing that it was a consequence of Cornell’s efforts to boost minority enrollment by admitting students who did not meet existing academic standards. Ultimately, the Willard Straight Hall Takeover was a defining episode of student activism during the Black Power era of the late 1960s.
