Bob Woodward To Speak At Kent State On Shooting Anniversary

KENT, OH — Legendary journalist Bob Woodward will speak at Kent State University on the anniversary of the May 4, 1970 shootings that shocked the nation.

Woodward was famously one of the two journalists that broke the Watergate scandal that ended President Richard Nixon's tenure. Woodward's sterling career continued in resplendent fashion. He has covered nine U.S. presidents, won two Pulitzer prizes, and written 19 best-selling books. He is currently an associate editor for the Washington Post, where he has worked since 1971.

“Bob Woodward is one of the most influential and well-known journalists of our times,” said Kent State President Beverly J. Warren. “Mr. Woodward’s insights on the Richard Nixon presidency and the Kent State shootings, which President Nixon said were among the darkest days of his presidency, are of particular interest to our Kent State community.”

Woodward will visit Kent State as part of the Presidential Speaker Series. He is scheduled to address an audience at 7 p.m. in the Kent Student Center Ballroom. His presentation will coincide with the university's annual commemoration of the May 4th event. The event is free and open to the public.

For those unfamiliar, on May 4, 1970 a group of Ohio National Guardsmen fired into a crowd of student protesters, killing four Kent State students and wounding nine others.

Woodward is expected to reflect on the events leading up to the May 4th tragedy, and how the Vietnam War impacted the protests.

WKSU's Jeff St. Clair will serve as the master of ceremonies for the evening. He will moderate a question-and-answer session with Woodward following the conclusion of the presentation. St. Clair is the host of NPR's "All Things Considered" on WKSU. The radio station is co-sponsoring Woodward's appearance at the university.

“WKSU is so proud to support this event,” said WKSU Executive Director and General Manager Wendy Turner. “From his early days, Bob Woodward reshaped and refocused investigative journalism. Mr. Woodward’s journalistic power is discovering – and reporting – the truth. His work inspires a new generation of journalists to persevere in this noble profession.”