We read with interest, “A look back at Lafayette protests,” (May 2, 2025).

As class of 1969 history honors graduates, we were involved in two memorable anti-Vietnam War protests. First, in 1966, we and several dozen other students engaged in a silent demonstration carrying signs outside Marquis Hall protesting the appearance of the South Vietnamese Ambassador to the U.S. This was the very first anti-Vietnam protest ever at the college. For our troubles, we were met with attacks by students who dumped trash cans full of water on us and threatened worse.

That same night, we reported this dangerous situation directly to Dean Charles Cole. We told him that Lafayette’s dean of students, Armand Shaner, who was also outside Marquis Hall during the protest, had not only refused to stop the attacks, but told us, “You’re provoking them (the attackers).” No charges were ever brought against our attackers. Shocking but true.

Then, in the spring of 1969, we and more than a dozen of our classmates staged an anti-war protest at the ROTC graduation ceremony. Dean Herman Kissiah promptly filed charges against us. He prosecuted the case himself and prohibited us from appearing before or having representation at the hearing conducted by the faculty conduct board. Needless to say, we were found guilty. So much for due process.

We took these experiences to heart in becoming lawyers fighting for human rights over our long careers.

All the best,

Rob McGarrah ’69 & Ted Ruthizer ’69