A normally quiet State University Agricultural and Technical College at Cobleskill, known today simply as SUNY Cobleskill, was anything but quiet in the late spring of 1972. Early the morning of Wednesday, April 12, violence broke out on the campus, tinged heavily with racial overtones.

Cobleskill joined the general unrest as experienced by other regional college campuses in the early 1970s, whether it was over racial matters or opposition to the Vietnam War.

Around 3 a.m. a cross was found by campus security on the lawn in front of Vroman Hall, a dormitory in which male African-American students resided. The cross had been burning at one point, but had been quickly extinguished. Rocks reportedly were thrown through windows.

The episode apparently moved the Vroman residents into action, and a confusing series of incidents followed. When the turmoil was over, more windows in Vroman were broken and screens torn off. Huge mirror windows in the administration building were broken. Offices in the administration building were entered, and furniture and filing cabinets were tipped over and typewriters damaged. Damage was estimated at over $81,000.

The campus returned to somewhat normal life by that afternoon. Black students met in the lounge of Dix Hall to talk things over. They presented no formal list of demands nor did they prevent other students, faculty and administration from passing in and out of the building.

An investigation into the cause of the incident began immediately. Dr. Walton A. Brown, college president, assisted uniformed and plain clothed members of the state police, Schoharie County sheriff’s deputies and Cobleskill village police.

Brown met with some 30 student representatives of Cobleskill’s fraternities at mid-morning. The fraternities indicated that some of their members were the most active in opposition to the black students at Cobleskill.

African-American and other students coming from low income backgrounds had been increasing in numbers at Cobleskill and other SUNY colleges since 1967, after the state’s Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) had been initiated to help many in financial need get a higher education.

Brown explained the EOP concept to the students, and continued to ease the tension as best he could. Brown coordinated meetings between fraternity leaders and black students, and formed a human rights committee, among other things. There were no recurrences of violent incidents like on April 12.

Eventually the investigation resulted in the arrest of 43 people from the April uproar, according to The Oneonta Star of May 4. Fifteen black students were sentenced to jail for 10 days for contempt of court, as they refused to testify before a Schoharie County grand jury. Twenty-six other students and two adult administrators were arrested on bench warrants and jailed without bail. Many were charged with felonious riot, arson, hindering prosecution and drug possession.

A trial began Oct. 2 for 23 students. Many charges had been dropped on the others arrested in May.

Fourteen black and five white students were given conditional discharges after pleading guilty before Judge J. Robert Johnson, who said he was handing out light sentences so that students could "continue your education" and "make better lives for yourselves." Other sentences were given to the remaining students and college staff members.

Johnson told all involved, "The facilities which are provided for your education are provided by the people of the state, not only the rich, but also the poor people. There is only one world for us all to live in, and we’ve got to learn to live together. We’re all going to have to make adjustments."

This weekend: A visit to the many carousels in The Heartland of New York.

City Historian Mark Simonson’s column appears twice weekly. On Saturdays, his column focuses on the area during the Depression and before. His Monday columns address local history after the Depression. If you have feedback or ideas about the column, write to him at The Daily Star, or e-mail him at simmark@stny.rr.com. His website is www.oneontahistorian.com.