Dissent in the Heartland: The Sixties at Indiana University (Midwestern History and Culture)

"More than other local histories of campus activism during this period, Dissent in the Heartland introduces national themes and events, and successfully places Indiana University into that context. The research in primary sources, including FBI files, along with numerous interviews, is superior, and the writing is lucid and at times provocative." -- Terry H. Anderson, author of The SixtiesThis grassroots view of student activism in the 1960s chronicles the years of protest at one Midwestern university. Located in a region of farmland, conservative politics, and traditional family values, Indiana University was home to antiwar protestors, civil rights activists, members of the counterculture, and feminists who helped change the heart of Middle America. Its students made their voices heard on issues from such local matters as dorm curfews and self-governance to national issues of racism, sexism, and the Vietnam War. Their recognition that the personal was the political would change them forever. The protest movement they helped shape would reach into the heartland in ways that would redefine higher education, politics, and cultural values. Based on research in primary sources, interviews, and FBI files, Dissent in the Heartland reveals the Midwestern pulse of the Sixties, beating firmly, far from the elite schools and urban centers of the East and West.

"More than other local histories of campus activism during this period, Dissent in the Heartland introduces national themes and events, and successfully places Indiana University into that context. The research in primary sources, including FBI files, along with numerous interviews, is superior, and the writing is lucid and at times provocative."
—Terry H. Anderson, author of The Sixties

This grassroots view of student activism in the 1960s chronicles the years of protest at one Midwestern university. Located in a region of farmland, conservative politics, and traditional family values, Indiana University was home to antiwar protestors, civil rights activists, members of the counterculture, and feminists who helped change the heart of Middle America. Its students made their voices heard on issues from such local matters as dorm curfews and self-governance to national issues of racism, sexism, and the Vietnam War. Their recognition that the personal was the political would change them forever. The protest movement they helped shape would reach into the heartland in ways that would redefine higher education, politics, and cultural values.

Based on research in primary sources, interviews, and FBI files, Dissent in the Heartland reveals the Midwestern pulse of the Sixties, beating firmly, far from the elite schools and urban centers of the East and West.

Contents......Page 6 Illustrations......Page 7 Introduction......Page 8 Prologue......Page 16 CHAPTER 1 The Dawn of Dissent: 1960–65......Page 24 CHAPTER 2 The Awakening of Activism: 1965–67......Page 37 CHAPTER 3 The Antiwar Movement......Page 64 CHAPTER 4 A Precarious Peace......Page 104 CHAPTER 5 Student Rights, Civil Rights: African Americans and the Struggle for Racial Justice......Page 130 CHAPTER 6 The Women’s Movement: An Idea Whose Time Had Come......Page 150 CHAPTER 7 Bloomington and the Counterculture in Southern Indiana......Page 168 Epilogue: The End of an Era at Indiana University......Page 187 Conclusion......Page 200 Acknowledgments......Page 204 Notes......Page 206 Select Bibliography......Page 220 Index......Page 224 About the Author......Page 230 This grassroots view of student activism in the 1960s chronicles the years of protest at one midwestern university. Located in a region of farmland, conservative politics, and traditional family values, Indiana University was home to the antiwar protesters, civil rights activists, members of the counterculture, and feminists who helped change the heart of Middle America. Based on primary sources, interviews, and FBI files, this volume reveals the midwestern pulse of the '60s, beating firmly, far from the elite schools and urban centers of the east and west The Dawn Of Dissent: 1960-65 -- The Awakening Of Activism: 1965-67 -- The Antiwar Movement -- A Precarious Peace -- Student Rights, Civil Rights: African Americans And The Struggle For Racial Justice -- The Women's Movement: An Idea Whose Time Had Come -- Bloomington And The Counterculture In Southern Indiana. Mary Ann Wynkoop. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [191]-208) And Index. Chronicling the years of protest at Indiana University, this book reveals the Midwestern pulse of the Sixties, beating firmly, far from the elite schools and urban centers of the East and West. While I was interviewing people for this project, I was struck by the way that nearly all of them spoke about their time in Bloomington with a kind of loving remembrance.