Chapter 2
So you’re 18, and a new student in Carbondale in 1966. Like most, you want some music. What are the choices? There was a lot of great music being released at that time, but could you get it in C’dale?
First, almost no one had “stereos” as we know them today. There were no “affordable” component systems (separate amp/receiver, turntable, speakers, tape deck). There were no CD’s, not even cassettes. There were reel-to-reel tape recorders and decks, but they were expensive and out of reach for 80-90% of students. “8-tracks” were just starting. These were tape cartridges (similar to radio station carts) that had 1/4″ audio tape inside, and ran at 3 3/4 IPS. Each tape had four stereo channels of audio, and you could listen to one at a time. 8 track players were largely in cars (and this was the first time anyone could play recorded music in cars–stereo too) but there were some home 8-track units. Most 8-tracks were pre-recorded versions of albums, distributed by record companies. A few people had 8-track recorders, but these were rare, especially in 1966. In fact, 8 tracks were pretty rare (and expensive) until the late 60′s. Even by 1970, less than half of the students in C’dale had 8-tracks. 8-tracks were not high quality audio (but they were stereo, and better than AM radio), and the 8 track tapes and cartridges often jammed or otherwise self- destructed.
Most students in 1966 had some records (45′s and albums) and a “phonograph” to play them. A phonograph was a turntable that had its own amp & speakers (or speaker–if mono). Many phonographs had a “changer” feature; you could “stack” 45′s or lp’s on the spindle and the phonograph would play them one at a time. This was not good for the records, but this allowed for a longer period of music that you could select yourself, without having to get up and interrupt your time with your boyfriend or girlfriend.
There are few pursuits more central to adolescent life than the search—the quest. This transcends all eras; no matter what year, students in C’dale were asearching and ahoping. However, in 1966, the local authorities stood between the searcher and searchee. Under the legal doctrine of “loco parentis,” (crazy parents), the university enacted and tried to enforce these rules:
- No Co-Ed dorms
- No members of the opposite sex in dorm rooms ever
- Curfew: all women must be insid their dorms before 10pm weeknights, 11:30 weekends. Men were 11p and 12:30a.
- “Visitation” was allowed in lounge areas with a supervisor present, until curfew
- Violation led to suspension (house arrest) or expulsion from the university
Keep in mind that for men, “expulsion from the university” could mean a loss of the treasured 2-S student deferment from the draft. The university was pleased to speedily inform the Selective Service System (draft administrators) that a student was expelled. Induction notices would promptly follow. From rule violation to expulsion and induction into the military could be 30 days or less!
So the choice was between following the sex drive and being sent to Vietnam, or following the rules and getting really REALLY frustrated.
One way to try to cope with the frustration was to listen to music, yet the same old records got tired pretty fast. Many students were accustomed to a full dial of quality radio choices, but in Carbondale, there were few stations and almost none targeted a student demographic.
Scanning the radio dial in C’dale in 1966, one would find meager offerings. First of all, most people had AM only. Almost all students had an alarm clock device, and most of these were analog AM clock radios. Car radios were almost all AM, even cars with 8-tracks. There were no boom boxes, no walkmen (or walk women) just “transistor” radios, which were all AM.
So, what was on the dial? Well, the local station was WCIL. It was owned by the McRoy family, as it had been for years. At 1020 AM, WCIL broadcast daytime hours only. It featured shows like “The Trading Post,” where locals could trade a ringer washing machine for a meat grinder or a cesspool pump. Another top WCIL program was “Coffee with Larry,” hosted by Larry Doyle, the Sales Manager. WCIL played music, occasionally. One would hear the Ray Coniff singers, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Vaughn Monroe, Andy Williams, Doris Day, and maybe they would take a big risk and play some Johnny Mathis.
The major feature on WCIL, hour after hour, was commercials, and lots of them. Hearing more than 30 minutes per hour of commercials was not unusual. SIU sports, especially basketball, was also a big moneymaker for WCIL.
WCIL essentially had a local monopoly on commercial radio, and they milked it . By 1968 they also had an FM frequency at 101.5 mz. It was mono, and they used it to simulcast the AM. When the AM went off, so did the FM.
Also on the AM dial was WGGH, Marion. This was the local country station. You could also find WJPF, Herrin, WRAJ, Anna and WMCL, McCleansboro. Although some of the music was different than CIL, and there may have been local and network news distinctions, it was the same style of radio.
WSIU was available at 91.9 FM. Mono at the time, WSIU was the first local station that did not sound like WCIL. But there was no NPR at that time, and WSIU was on its own. Some R-T professors were pressed into service as radio hosts. One example was Dick Hildreth, who hosted a 1930′s music show for years. WSIU had a strong and wide-ranging signal, but most people did not have FM at this time.
This dearth of diversity encouraged listeners to reach out further. On the edge of the daytime range of AM were some St. Louis stations, and others. WKYX, Paducah, Kentucky, was available at 570 AM. KGMO, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, had an AM/FM. St. Louis offered KSD, 550 AM, KXOK, 630 AM, and KMOX at 1160 AM. KYX and KGMO eventually became top-40, but not until the early 70′s. KSD was “easy listening,” (called MOR then), with WCIL-type music but less commercials. KMOX was mostly news/talk, and they were the St. Louis Cardinals’ (baseball and football) flagship station.
KXOK was the only station playing close to a “top 40″ format. Yes, they did play the hits, but also lots of commercials with really bad production, and ancient, embarrassing jingles. Their jocks were very self-impressed and left much to be desired. Anyone who had grown up on Chicago radio could not take much of KXOK.
KXOK also had a poor signal into C’dale. In the daytime, it could be received in most cars and some dorm rooms, if you were high enough (i.e., if your room was on an upper floor–most students didn’t do that then) and if your window faced north or west. At night, the signal was weaker and almost impossible to receive.
At night, most local AM stations signed off or greatly reduced their power and this was the opportunity one did not get in Chicago– the chance to DX. This meant trying to receive faraway stations.
WLS, Chicago, was the main option. Clear channel, “The Big 89″ had a fairly dependable signal into C’dale starting about an hour after dark. The other 50,000 watt clear channel Chicago stations, WMAQ, WBBM, and WGN were also receivable in C’dale at night, but these stations did not play popular music. WLS and WCFL were competitors and both featured a “Top 40″ format. WCFL also had 50,000 watts, but at night, it was directional north and mostly east; not receivable in C’dale.
At that time, “Top 40″ included a great merging of diverse styles.
Recent top 10 hits included:
Eve Of Destruction – Sgt. Barry McGuire
Psychotic Reaction – Count V
Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag – James Brown
Mr. Tambourine Man – Byrds
Winchester Cathedral – New Vaudeville Band
We Ain’t Got Nothin’ Yet – Blues Magoos
Chain Of Fools – Aretha Franklin
Sunshine Superman – Donovan
The Crusher – Novas
Kicks – Paul Revere & The Raiders
King Of The Road – Roger Miller
Mother’s Little Helper – Rolling Stones
(I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone – Monkees
Scratch My Back – Slim Harpo
Groovy Kind Of Love – Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders
Because there was such a mix, and the songs were short, this format attracted a large audience. Adolescents from the Chicago area had grown up on this type of radio, and it was a big letdown to arrive in C’dale and have no comparable radio service.
So, at night, large numbers of C’daleites tuned to WLS. And, that would be the end of this story. EXCEPT, WLS’s nighttime signal was not quite dependable enough to satisfy the needs of C’dale. It would drift, fade in and out, increase and decrease in volume. The audio would often distort. Sometimes, it did not come in at all. The general need remained unsatisfied.
So we have this open space, still in Illinois but essentially a foreign land, that suddenly experiences an enormous building boom and a huge influx of young adults–almost all from the Chicago area–who double the size of the town practically overnight. These “students” were attracted by loose admission and class requirements, new campus, cheap tuition, and a draft exemption. There was a lot of energy, leisure time, and a split feeling of invincibility and desperation.
18-20 year olds in 1966 were the beginning of the peak of the baby boomers. While growing up, they were repeatedly propagandized about the “Red Menace,” digging fallout shelters, and the glory of dying for our country in war. In 1966, the government propaganda tried to justify the vietnam war as a fight against the Red Menace, and that getting drafted for this was just as good as fighting Hitler. This was not well-received, especially in view of nightly news coverage of the war that contradicted the government. Many people, especially those of draft age, became uneasy, distrustful of authority, and angry.
Meanwhile, it had only been a few years (maybe since the mid-’50s), that an adolescent identity had been “allowed.” First, it was music, only for adolescents (rock & roll). Then it was movies (First, “Blackboard Jungle,” “Rebel without a Cause,” “The Girl Can’t Help It,” later, Beatles’ movies). Then, special clothes. There was special language (Groovy. Uptight. Freakout.) Cigarettes, cars, cosmetics. Hairstyles. Special activities (“Skateboarding” was originally called “sidewalk surfing”). There were special TV shows like “The Monkees,” Shindig, and Hullabaloo. We may take this for granted now, but, prior to the mid-’60s there was very little “generation identity.” But now, added to the general feeling of invincibility adolescents always seem to have, there was a pervasive feeling, for the first time, that this generation was a TEAM, they had some power, they had their own way of doing things and MAYBE they were strong enough to avoid being pushed around.
In 1966, SIU had enough students to qualify as a major state university. Yet, in some ways, the school was run as the small college it had been just a few years ago. Springtime meant panty raids. Panty raids involved a crowd of males gathering in front of a female dorm. The females were supposed to “satisfy” the frenzied males by tossing panties out the windows. At some point, the males would leave with their panties and go home. From today’s point of view, it all sounds pretty tame.
In 1966, spring came early to C’dale and the sap was rising as the panty raiders were out in force. Yet they were too impatient to wait for their panties, so a few enterprising males invaded the dorm to find the panties themselves. The dorm matrons were outraged and they complained to the security police and the administration. The offenders were expelled, with no right of appeal. Since they were male, this meant they would be drafted, and likely be sent to the jungles of vietnam, in a matter of weeks.
Students were outraged. How could their comrades be “sentenced” without a hearing, and with no right of appeal? This was not the American way as they had been taught for years! What about constitutional rights?
Here we had the age-old conflict between abstract principle and practical application. The idea of constitutional rights to due process and to petition for redress of grievances versus keeping order in the face of “doing things not normally done.” In today’s world, the reaction would probably be individual, and one extreme or the other. Either the offenders would be afraid of “getting in trouble” (i.e., interfering with their future job prospects), afraid of “rocking the boat” (being branded as different), or just feel powerless and they would do nothing. Or, they would get a lawyer and sue. Either way, an individual response. In the late 70′s or early 80′s, getting expelled from SIU for being overly zealous at a panty raid would likely be worn as a badge of honor. It would not be perceived as restricting anyone’s future
But in 1966, most students were not concerned about future earning power. They were concerned about their chances of surviving until next year. Getting drafted lowered those chances substantially. And expulsion meant getting drafted.
The effect of the expulsions cut across students as a group. Almost all male students were subject to the draft if expelled. Almost all male students felt that panty raids were reasonable, necessary and proper, and most certainly not an expellable offense. If they were going to be arbitrarily expelled and drafted, they had nothing to lose.
So the panty raids increased. The crowds got larger. The administration and police were scared. Martial law was declared. A curfew was imposed.
There were meetings among faculty, administration and student representatives. The faculty and administration agreed that the students needed to be taught a lesson. As it turned out, the students did teach themselves a lesson. But, it was the faculty and administrators that were taught the big lesson.
In defiance of the curfew, larger and larger crowds gathered in front of the female dorms, A “police force” approached. It was comprised of SIU Security, C’dale police, Carbondale Volunteer Firemen, and Jackson County Deputy Sheriffs. They decided to arrest as many curfew violators as they could. There were more than a hundred arrested, so there was no way to transport them to a lockup except on foot. So the cops tried to march the group down to the police station, then located on Washington Street south of Main.
Once they arrived, the police realized that the lockup only had room for maybe a dozen. So they told the group to wait on the street until the cops figured out what to do. The offenders then decided to leave. En masse, they proceeded to Freeman and Illinois (where Spud-Nuts was then, east of where Quatro’s is now). They started rocking cars. The cars were turned over. Some were throwing rocks and breaking windows. The cars were burning. The police were powerless to stop the students, and this was obvious to everyone.
At the police station, network news crews were present when the police told the student “offenders” to wait on the street while the police figured out what to do with them. One of those students was Roger Strauss, then 19, a student from Chicago. Roger was shown on camera when he was across the street from the police station. In the picture, Roger was giving the police “the finger.” The story made the network news, at a time when “campus riot” stories were still unusual.
Imagine never hearing of Carbondale, Illinois before, never hearing of Southern Illinois University before, and seeing, on the network news, a shot of a student giving the “universal salute” to the police AT THE POLICE STATION! Remember, this was still 1966, when protesting was still new and unusual. Imagine being in Los Angeles (where Roger’s aunt was) and seeing him on KNBC.
Carbondale? That’s the place where the students give the police the finger! This is the first image many people had of C’dale and SIU. (If this happened today, the cameraman and crew might well be arrested and charged with “inciting a riot” or at least “disorderly conduct,” and the university could claim that the shot was “staged” and that “nothing happened.” The university might complain that NBC was portraying the university in a “false light” and threaten to sue. Never mind that this was caused by the university’s manic response to a panty raid; sentencing the violators to potential death or dismemberment in Vietnam.)
The faculty and administration still insisted on teaching the students a lesson. Meanwhile, the news was getting around. Responding to nationwide publicity, members of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) visited C’dale, and conferred with local students at Spud-Nuts. The SDS members were interested in the national statement potential of events in C’dale. Up to that time, most protests were confined to the east (Columbia) and west (Berkeley) coasts. Carbondale was extremely middle-america, so if it could happen in C’dale, it could happen anywhere.
The protests escalated. Crowds continued to gather every night, in defiance of the curfew. Responding to this activity in 1966 was impossible for even a large police department such as Chicago’s. In C’dale no one had a clue what to do. All the offenders couldn’t even be arrested. Those that were could not be locked up; at the C’dale police lockup, there was room for maybe ten. At the Jackson County jail maybe 20 more. What about the other 2,000? There were at least 50 offenders for each officer. The police were scared. Martial law became a joke.
The administrators and faculty continued to insist that the students be taught a lesson. But how? Hire 1000 more police? Build a new prison? (This was eventually done, in Vienna, a few years later). Expel 2,000 students? Who would come to school there? The debate raged on among faculty, administration, and student representatives.
Rumors abounded among students: The protesters were burning down buildings. The police were murdering students. Students were burning police cars with police still in them. The campus was going to be turned into a concentration camp. The police were training vicious dogs to maim students. Anyone who went to class would be attacked. Police were working undercover, posing as students. The dorms were going to be tear gassed. The roads out of town were blockaded.
There was no medium to instantly communicate to students. Print was the only option, and it was cumbersome. It was slow, not pervasive, and ineffective in response to word-of-mouth rumors. The “word on the street” was considered by many to be the most reliable and credible information. And, once exciting events were happening, “word on the street” spread at lightning speed!
Slow to respond, the administration finally decided to create an “informational discussion” program on WSIU-FM. The program was designed to convey the impression that calm and serious discussions were happening among students, faculty, and administration. Since, at the time, probably less than 5% of students could listen to FM radio, let alone those who could find WSIU on the dial and were aware of the program, it had limited results.
Meanwhile, word-on-the-street was to gather at the president’s house. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, massed and began moving in that direction. By now, National Guard troops had been called in. The troops and police narrowed the crowd and a select group of students went to the president’s house.
President Delyte W. Morris met with the students, in the street. There were a total of 20 persons standing together. President Morris and three associates stepped towards the group of 5 students. He was cordial to the students. He said, “How can we get past this?”
The reply was, “Reinstate the students who were expelled for the panty raids and curfew violations.”
He said, “I can’t do that for the good of the university.”
The response: “Look down the street.”
Students were rocking an Army Jeep with a machine gun turrent. They were screaming, especially when it turned over. A police car was burning. Dozens of students were wearing “First Annual SIU Riots” T-shirts. The crowd chanted “The town’s going to fall,” over and over.
President Morris issued a memo reinstating the students. The students had learned a valuable lesson. But it took awhile for the administration and police to learn theirs.
