Following
the example UCLA set for itself in the sixties, UCLA continued to
be a microcosm of the youth culture throughout the early seventies.
Topics of national concern such as communism and the expanding war
in Vietnam effected student life at UCLA, spurring student protests
and an increase in popular music that could unite the students under
common ideas. However, students involved themselves in a wide range
of activities; and even during a time of such tension, students at
UCLA managed to escape by attending sporting events and concerts,
and by engaging themselves in current events.
During
the late 60’s and early 70’s, the war in Vietnam was the
source of much national debate and protests, especially on college
campuses throughout the nation. In late April of 1970, when President
Nixon made a surprising decision to invade Cambodia and expand US
involvement in Vietnam, student frustration increased and more protests
sprung up on college campuses. The death of four students at Kent
State, Ohio increased tensions throughout the nation and led to more
violent demonstrations at college campuses, including UCLA. On May
5, 1970 UCLA had one of its largest and most violent protest in its
history, causing the school to be declared in a “State of Emergency”
and to be shut down for four days by California’s Governor Ronald
Reagan.
Through
the first months of 1970, the events of the Angela Davis scandal continued
to plunge UCLA deeper and deeper into its very own “Red Scare.”
The measures taken by the Board of Regents and the university administration
thrust the school into the national spotlight and opened public debate
regarding the issue of academic freedom. Chancellor Young, torn between
the demands of the Regents and the university’s Academic Senate,
attempted to keep the peace on campus. Mirroring the tensions of the
time, the proceedings of the scandal infuriated a freedom seeking
student body to the point of demonstration.
UCLA continued
its dominance of athletics into the seventies. Forwards Sidney Wicks
and Curtis Rowe led John Wooden’s Bruins to National Championships
in 1970 and 1971. During 1970-1971, the Mens’ tennis team won
back-to-back championships under Coach Glenn Bassett. Haroon Rahim,
Jeff Borowiak, and Jimmy Connors were amongst the players who led
the Bruins to the NCAA titles. During these two years, the Bruins
won National Championships in Track and Field in 1971, Water Polo
in 1971, and Mens’ Volleyball in 1970 and 1971. UCLA football
was in a transition period during 1970 and 1971. In 1970, under Head
Coach Tommy Prothro, the Bruins came in 2nd in the Pac-8. Between
1970 and 1971 the Bruins experienced a change in head coach. In 1971,
under new head coach Pepper Rodgers, the Bruins struggled and finished
with an 8th place finish.
Music was
everywhere in the late 60’s and early 70’s, and UCLA was
no exception. Music continued to stay popular in and around UCLA,
as one could find up to five concerts a day in the West LA area. The
Daily Bruin, UCLA’s Undergraduate daily newspaper, had abundant
musical allusions including advertisements for instruments, concert
announcements, ads and coupons for new albums, musical reviews, and
many more things having to do with both popular and classical music
of the time. Indicative to the 60s, things continued to change concerning
music at UCLA: requests were made for history of rock classes, the
Daily Bruin changed its outlay to involve more music, and students
began to question what music would become. All in all, music in the
late 60s was reaching its peak, and UCLA experienced and embraced
every bit of this.
Some of the events that highlighted the early seventies and history
in general at UCLA included the firing of Angela Davis and the scandal
which followed, the winning of numerous NCAA Championships, underlined
mainly by John Wooden and the Basketball Championships of 70 and 71,
the introduction of many new courses, numerous musical concerts including
shows by Frank Zappa and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, speeches
by United States Senators including Strom Thurman, the reintroduction
of the draft lottery, the founding of the internet, the closing of
the school by Governor Reagan after Kent State, and the Los Angeles
Earthquake which killed 60 people. All together, the early 70s at
UCLA reflected the events of the times.
Photograph © 2003 by Alan Nyiri,
courtesy of the Atkinson Photographic Archive.
Researched
and wrriten by: Mitchell Austin, Pat Watkins, Adam Block, Nikki Heyder
