"I felt there was a singular aim to hurt this institution," he says. "People didn't want to give us more money, either. They'd move heaven and earth to distance themselves from us."

He says some people even tried to conceal the fact that they were Kent State graduates. For a long time, barely anyone wore Kent State clothing.

"We didn't even know who our alumni were. We couldn't keep track of them. Donations were absolutely critical. We couldn't get our foot in the door."

Low enrollment, lower subsidies and fewer dontations made Kent State a seemingly unattractive place for faculty.

"With the reputation Kent State had, it was hard to get new faculty," Schwartz says. "The good thing is, we got talented people in the face of a poor job market. Damn few people left here. And the best recruiters were students."

Even on campus and in the culture of Northeastern Ohio, people still joke about the label, "Kent Read, Kent Write, Kent State."

"There was a class snobbery of those days, too," Schwartz says. Most urban schools take cheap shots. And let's be honest. The people who go to Miami University don't need to work to put themselves through school. For a while we were taking anyone with a high school diploma. This is where we educate the sons and daughters of working class people."

Many people remained faithful to the university. Students graduated in Spring 1970 only because the faculty provided sanctuary in local churches in and in their own homes after campus shut down. Private donors, such as the Williamsons (of the Williamson Alumni Center) came through every year. Although the university didn't reel in extra fundraising during the '70s and early '80s, relations improved in the late '80s.