UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON ARCHIVES
ORAL HISTORY PROJECT
Interview #671
YOUNG, H. EDWIN and HANSON, RALPH

YOUNG, H. Edwin (1917-2012)1
Graduate Student; Professor of Economics; Dean of College of Letters & Science; Chancellor; President of UW System
At UW: 1945-1946; 1947-1965; 1968-1987

and HANSON, Ralph (1928-1996)
Director of Protection and Security
At UW: 1965-91

Interviewed: 1987	
Interviewer: Tom Bates
Length: 2 hours 16 minutes

Bombing of Sterling Hall; Issues for police and administration during protest movement of late 1960s.

Interview session (November 23, 1987): Tape 1 2

Tape 1/Side 1 (more of a preliminary interview, they cover many topics but not in much depth)

00:01:35	EY discusses his background in labor history.  He talks about his major professor, Selig Perlman.  He describes his dissertation.

00:11:55	EY explains why he accepted the job as chancellor at UW.  He discusses the activist streak of the 1968 freshmen class.

00:18:24	He discusses the impact and influence of The Daily Cardinal.  EY discusses David Fine.

00:21:14	He gives his impressions of the campus climate during 1968-70.  EY describes governmental research on campus.

00:23:27	EY discusses James Rowan.  He describes the bombing of Sterling Hall and speculates on the reasons for targeting the Army Math Research Center.  EY outlines the relationship between anti-war protestors and local clergy.

00:30:07	He describes his knowledge of the group Mother Jones.  EY discusses Paul Soglin.

00:31:33	EY discusses previous historical treatments of the 1960s protest movement at UW.

00:45:42	(A gap in the tape begins.)

00:46:15	(Conversation returns.) Discussion on Tom Bates’ research project begins. 

00:50:13	End of side.

Tape 1/Side 2

00:50:15	EY continues his discussion on Tom Bates’ research project.

00:51:59	EY discusses Ralph Hanson.

00:54:30	The media tended to exaggerate the extent of the protests and the number of students involved.

00:55:34	End of side.  End of tape.  

Tape 2/Side 1  

00:56:01	The night of the bombing of Sterling Hall.

01:09:44	Legislative and regent reaction.

01:11:31	Concerns re size of campus police force during protest era.

01:13:12	The bayonet episode.

01:15:24	Requests for advice Young got from other campuses.

01:16:45	Growing awareness nationally that there weren't easy solutions.

01:18:24	The 1967 sit-in at Maine, concerns over state troopers' reactions.

01:22:41	Madison traditionally attracted liberals and radicals.

01:23:56	Daily meetings with attorney general, FBI, etc. after bombing.

01:32:52	Shift in population on campus.

01:33:07	Introduction of ID cards.

01:35:45	Necessity of keeping campus open.

01:39:05	Jurisdictional problems between campus police and city, county, state police.

01:41:20	End of side.

Tape 2/Side 2

01:43:31	Where the faculty stood.

01:48:34	Influence of Harvey Goldberg.

01:53:01	Would Young and Hanson have done anything differently?

02:01:05	The phone call before the bombing.

02:04:18	People to interview.

02:05:08	Discussion of the second Dow protest, October 1967.

02:16:02	End of side.  End of tape.  End of interview.

						END