The collection includes records of the committee, such as accounts, minutes, underground newspapers, and newsletters. It also includes related materials of other colleges, anti-war efforts, and radical, pro-labor, or anti-war literature and copies of newspapers and newspaper clippings.
The “How Many More” 16-mm film by De Bolt includes a pamphlet inside the film canister. The film documents events at CMU including 4,000 protestors at Finch Fieldhouse and 5,000 people marching through the streets of Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Both events occurred on October 15, 1969. A November 14, 1969 memorial service, teach in at Ferris State College is document, as well as another rally at Finch with 500 people, and loading busses for marches in Washington, D.C., on November 15, 1969. There are also national shots and period protest songs. The film was created via grant funds CMU was awarded. The original film was re-edited after it “migrated” to a New York (State) University, where it still resides. A VCR tape of the film is available.
An 8-mm untitled film footage of the 1970 student occupation of Main Hall, the old Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) building is also included. An information card resides with the film footage.
Biography:
Joseph “Joe” W. De Bolt earned his B.A. from West Virginia State College (1961) and his Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut (1975). He was hired by Central Michigan University (CMU) in 1967 and is currently a professor here in the Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work Dept. He served as the faculty advisor of the CMU. Vietnam Moratorium Committee, 1967-1971. De Bolt is married with a son, Joe W. De Bolt, Jr., a daughter, and a step-son.
A politically radical anarchist in the 1960s, he has mellowed into a social libertarian. Reminiscing about his past work, De Bolt recalled that President Boyd was at a rally and said he supported the committee’s goals. De Bolt asked if that was so, why didn’t he agree to a teach in and shut the university down? Boyd, cornered, agreed to both. The next day, few students or staff attended the teach in. De Bolt then realized that shutting down the university had been a bad idea. It had only been an exercise in control and power. He hopes that future researchers using this collection will come to the same conclusion. (This information from a conversation with Joe De Bolt on September 18, 2002.) De Bolt died on Oct. 11, 2017.
