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Sterling Hall Bombing of 1970 Oral History Project

Two destroyed cars outside of Sterling Hall after the bombing.
Sterling Hall bombing. #031212as05

This project was conceived to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the bombing of Sterling Hall which took place on August 24, 1970.

The collection consists of excerpts from interviews with UW-Madison faculty, students, staff, and Madison community members who recounted their experiences of the bombing and its aftermath.

We are actively collecting stories from individuals who may have been on campus or in Madison during this period.

Contact the Oral Historian (Troy Reeves, troy.reeves@wisc.edu) for more information about how to contribute your story to this project.

Oral History Interviews

Browse Sterling Hall Bombing of 1970 Story Booth Videos and interviews in MINDS@UW:

  • Go to the Oral History Program’s collection page in  MINDS@UW.
  • From this page, key word search on the term “Sterling Hall Bombing” in the Search and browse box
  • There are currently 100+ interviews in the Sterling Hall Bombing of 1970 collection.

Online Collection

To browse the online collection of Sterling Hall Bombing oral histories, enter Sterling Hall Bombing AND oral histories when in the UWDC section of the library catalog.

Plays

Bloody Math: An American Tragedy in Three Acts by David Joseph Marcou

Podcast

Watch the Sterling Hall Bombing on YouTube

View the Sterling Hall Bombing of 1970 transcript [pdf]

Clips

The Oral History Program staff has complied an album of clips about the Sterling Hall Bombing. The name of the narrator and the Oral History Number follow the link. Clips 1-7 describe the lead up to the bombing, clips 8-18 describe the bombing, clips 19-25 describe the aftermath, and clips 26-32 are reflections. A transcript of the clips [pdf] is also available .

  1. Campus Protest Atmosphere: Brown, Eric (588)
  2. Army Math Research Center as Target: Bless, Robert (724)
  3. Anti-AMRC Propaganda: Parter, Seymour V. (668)
  4. Communist Sympathizing: Chapman, Emily E. (456)
  5. Faculty Perspective of Difficulties: Knowles, Richard (841)
  6. Defending Chemistry Building: Taylor, Jim (847)
  7. Escalating Tensions:  Huberty, James (853)
  8. Pro-Protest Perspective & Reaction: O’Brien, Sarah (503)
  9. Explosion & Reactions: Brown, Eric (588)
  10. Mushroom Cloud: Cadmus, Robert (16)
  11. Hearing about Bombing: Haller, Archibald (507)
  12. Seeing Explosion from Dayton & Mills: Sondel, Paul (773)
  13. Friend of Robert Fassnacht: Knowles, Richard (841)
  14. Early Morning Aftermath: Young, H. Edwin (671)
  15. Surveying Damage: Shain, Irving (323)
  16. Lab Damage: Newcomb, Eldon H. (532)
  17. Student’s Thesis Destroyed: Bless, Robert (724) [April 2026 Note: Clip now available upon request.]
  18. Shocked By Devastation: Huberty, James (853)
  19. Effect on Nuclear Physics Research: Cadmus, Robert (16)
  20. Building Destruction: Code, Art (776)
  21. Damage to Chemistry Building: Shain, Irving (323)
  22. Emotional Reactions: Ginsberg, Paul (341)
  23. Diminished Protests: Huberty, James (853)
  24. Turning Point of Protest Movement: Knowles, Richard (841)
  25. Other Effects: Reeder, Don (877)
  26. Intentions to Kill: Bless, Robert (724)
  27. Long Lasting Effects: Cadmus, Robert (16)
  28. Disappointment & Shaken: Sondel, Paul (773)
  29. Reflections: Luberg, LeRoy E. (66)
  30. Surprised by Bombing: Brualdi, Richard (836)
  31. Handling of Protests:  Young, H. Edwin & Hanson, Ralph (671)
  32. No More Robin Hoods: Haller, Archibald (507)

For more information about the Sterling Hall Bombing of 1970, visit: