DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | University of Iowa anti-war protests, 1970 | 1970-12-10 Iowa City Press-Citizen Article: ""UI Officials Ponder Sit-In, Weigh Disciplinary Action""

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University of Iowa anti-war protests, 1970

1970-12-10 Iowa City Press-Citizen Article: ""UI Officials Ponder Sit-In, Weigh Disciplinary Action""

[photo]
But Recruiter Didn't Come 
University of Iowa students stage a sit-in to block the appearance of a recruiter from the federal Defense Intelligence Agency. The protest developed Wednesday and prevented recruiter Robert Kravetz from holding interviews with seven students as scheduled. Some 200 students jammed the hall outside the placement office to hear UI officials announce that Kravetz had decided not to appear " on the basis of information he received." Another picture on Page 4A ( Press-Citizen Photo)

UI Officials Ponder Sit-In, Weigh Disciplinary Action. 
By FRED E. KARNES
Of the Press-Citizen
   University of Iowa officials are seeking to identify students who prevented a Defense Intelligeic Agency recruiter from interviewing on campus Wednesday. 
But authorities were uncertain today about possible disciplinary action in connection with the sit-in by about 200 students outside the UI Career Counselling and Placement Office. 
" I haven't even talked to the security people yet so I'm just trying to gather the facts," said Howard Sokol, assistant to the provost. " I'm going to see what we've got."
When asked if disciplinary action was being planned, Sokol replied, " It depends on what kind of identification I've got."
Robert E. Engel assistant to UI President Willard L. Boyd said further action " will depend on what we find in our investigation. We're moving quite rapidly - as rapidly as we can."
Engel said recruiter Robert Kravetz of Washington D.C., did not confer with UI officials before deciding not to hold interviews with seven students. 
" This decision was reached by the (DIA) representative without consultation with university officials. " Engel said. " He was subsequently told by university officials that the university was prepared to provide him an opportunity to hold interviews, but he had already reached the decision to leave campus."
Kravetz - who was seeking students in library science and foreign languages - did not reach the placement office, which remained locked in front of the student contingent. 
" All but two other interviews scheduled for Wednesday afternoon were held as planned" reported Engel. 
Boyd was in Ames for the regular meeting of the Board of Regents when the sit-in developed. 
Placement officials said today that "no arrangements have been made" to invite Kravetz back for a second round. 
Asked if further defense related recruiters were planned a spokesman replied, " I don't know if they want us to release that information or not. We were told not to talk to the press."
The spokesman did say that a representative of the Central Intelligence Agency recruited on campus earlier this fall without incident. 
Wednesday's protest began with a large gathering in the Gold Feather Lobby of the Memorial Union. 
Sponsored by Students for a Democratic Society a " rat 
SIT-IN Turn to Page 2A

P-C
Dec. 10, 1970 

P-C Dec. 10, 1970 
Sit- In
From Page 1A
skit" lambasting UI officials and a parade of costumed students were held before the decision to stage the sit-in was made. 
About 200 of the original group marched upstairs to the placement office chanting "Smash the DIA," and "1-2-3-4, Vietnam's a boss's war."
Several students seeking interviews and one recruiter from Brenton Banks were turned back by the chanting, shouting group. 
Engel told the protesters of Kravetz's decision at 1:45 p.m., about 90 minutes after the sit-in began. Several students accused Engel of lying to them to disperse the demonstration, but most of the crowd departed within a few minutes. 
Leaders of the protest asserted that the DIA is primarily responsible for infiltrating foreign and domestic revolutionary movements and plotting bombing raids in Southeast Asia. Such activities preclude its right to recruit, they argued. 
Campus Security Director William L. Binney was present throughout the protest, but no arrests were made. No city police officers were visible in the steamy quarters where the sit-in was staged. 
An injunction aimed at "disruptive" demonstrations was dissolved by District Court Judge Harold D. Vietor about three hours before the march to the placement office. The edict had been in effect since Sept. 9 on a permanent basis.

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[photo] But Recruiter Didn't Come University of Iowa students stage a sit-in to block the appearance of a recruiter from the federal Defense Intelligence Agency. The protest developed Wednesday and prevented recruiter Robert Kravetz from holding interviews with seven students as scheduled. Some 200 students jammed the hall outside the placement office to hear UI officials announce that Kravetz had decided not to appear " on the basis of information he received." Another picture on Page 4A ( Press-Citizen Photo) UI Officials Ponder Sit-In, Weigh Disciplinary Action. By FRED E. KARNES Of the Press-Citizen University of Iowa officials are seeking to identify students who prevented a Defense Intelligeic Agency recruiter from interviewing on campus Wednesday. But authorities were uncertain today about possible disciplinary action in connection with the sit-in by about 200 students outside the UI Career Counselling and Placement Office. " I haven't even talked to the security people yet so I'm just trying to gather the facts," said Howard Sokol, assistant to the provost. " I'm going to see what we've got." When asked if disciplinary action was being planned, Sokol replied, " It depends on what kind of identification I've got." Robert E. Engel assistant to UI President Willard L. Boyd said further action " will depend on what we find in our investigation. We're moving quite rapidly - as rapidly as we can." Engel said recruiter Robert Kravetz of Washington D.C., did not confer with UI officials before deciding not to hold interviews with seven students. " This decision was reached by the (DIA) representative without consultation with university officials. " Engel said. " He was subsequently told by university officials that the university was prepared to provide him an opportunity to hold interviews, but he had already reached the decision to leave campus." Kravetz - who was seeking students in library science and foreign languages - did not reach the placement office, which remained locked in front of the student contingent. " All but two other interviews scheduled for Wednesday afternoon were held as planned" reported Engel. Boyd was in Ames for the regular meeting of the Board of Regents when the sit-in developed. Placement officials said today that "no arrangements have been made" to invite Kravetz back for a second round. Asked if further defense related recruiters were planned a spokesman replied, " I don't know if they want us to release that information or not. We were told not to talk to the press." The spokesman did say that a representative of the Central Intelligence Agency recruited on campus earlier this fall without incident. Wednesday's protest began with a large gathering in the Gold Feather Lobby of the Memorial Union. Sponsored by Students for a Democratic Society a " rat SIT-IN Turn to Page 2A P-C Dec. 10, 1970 P-C Dec. 10, 1970 Sit- In From Page 1A skit" lambasting UI officials and a parade of costumed students were held before the decision to stage the sit-in was made. About 200 of the original group marched upstairs to the placement office chanting "Smash the DIA," and "1-2-3-4, Vietnam's a boss's war." Several students seeking interviews and one recruiter from Brenton Banks were turned back by the chanting, shouting group. Engel told the protesters of Kravetz's decision at 1:45 p.m., about 90 minutes after the sit-in began. Several students accused Engel of lying to them to disperse the demonstration, but most of the crowd departed within a few minutes. Leaders of the protest asserted that the DIA is primarily responsible for infiltrating foreign and domestic revolutionary movements and plotting bombing raids in Southeast Asia. Such activities preclude its right to recruit, they argued. Campus Security Director William L. Binney was present throughout the protest, but no arrests were made. No city police officers were visible in the steamy quarters where the sit-in was staged. An injunction aimed at "disruptive" demonstrations was dissolved by District Court Judge Harold D. Vietor about three hours before the march to the placement office. The edict had been in effect since Sept. 9 on a permanent basis.