Susquehanna University - 1960 to 1969

On the cutting edge of technology, the Director of Admissions purchased a "time saving device" called an auto-typist in 1960. This machine came equipped with an IBM electric typewriter, could type 150 words per minute and would automatically type the body and closing of a letter after an operator entered the heading and personal greeting.

Ground was broken for the Univeristy's Student Center in 1965 and the building was dedicated in 1968. The Center's game room was a popular place to enjoy a game of pool, ping-pong, checkers or cards as described in this 1968 Crusader article. The next image provides an interior view of the game room.

The 1960 leap year Freshman Frolic was declared a success by The Crusader, the student newspaper. Hosted by the freshman class, the dance featured humorous entertainment with birch beer and pretzels for refreshments.

President Lyndon Johnson announced that he would not seek re-election in 1968 and in April of that same year a poll, sponsored by Time Magazine, was taken among college campuses to determine the most popular presidential candidates and the national issues students considered most pressing. Among Susquehanna students, Senator Eugene McCarthy was the most popular choice for president and the most pressing national issues were the suspension of bombing in Vietnam and government spending on education.

Susquehanna University was not exempt from the popularity of public protests sweeping the nation in the 1960s. In the spring of 1964, the behavior of students off campus was investigated by University officials after an article appeared in the Sunbury Daily Item concerning Susquehanna University students who had violated a Selinsgrove ordinance regarding the possession of beer. University officials met with Selinsgrove town authorities and informed the student body of the problems off campus. These probelms included drinking, littering, trespassing and a lack of proper moral conduct. The student body felt that specific proof of these matters was not given, that the University did not defend its students to the town authorities and that their moral characters had been insulted. In retaliation, students placed various protest signs in conspicuous places around campus. This newspaper article discusses the students choice of protest and other options they might have had to address their concerns.

On May 10, 1968, the Lovin' Spoonful joined the ranks of other popular bands, such as the Doors, to perform for Susquehanna students. The band was known for such hits as "Do You Believe in Magic?" and "Summer in the City." In 2000, the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The 1960s saw the dawn of a new and different social environment. Many of the old social norms were fading or had vanished altogether. Susquehanna University was not immune to this social shift and a drug policy was drafted for the first time in the University's history. This policy was published for all to read in The Crusader in 1966.

New student traffic regulations were instituted in the fall of 1966. All students were now permitted to operate vehicles but freshmen and sophomores were prohibited from owning a car. It was necessary for students to register an automobile at a cost of $5.00 and rule infractions were punished by fines or loss of driving privileges.

The United States' involvement in the Vietnam War began in the early 1960s and reached a high level by 1968. Many Americans disagreed with the country's role in the war. In the spring of 1968, General Edwin Simmons of the USMC, who had previously served in World War II and Korea, presented a program in Seibert Hall, on the U.S. military's role in Vietnam. Notice the plug for the light-hearted comic opera "Pirates of Penzance" sharing the page with this most serious topic.