SCB withdraws the invitation

The Student Center Board formally announces in this letter that they have decided to withdraw their invitation to radical leftist Abbie Hoffman and his lawyer Leonard Weinglass. 

Monday April 6, 1970

The University Welfare Committee announced their decision to uphold Dean Frederick Weirum's decision at 1 a.m. At 2:30 a.m., the Student Center Board publicly accepted the decision. That morning, SCB Chairwoman Jerlyn Mardis reportedly began her unsuccessful attempts to contact Weirum. The Student Association also released a statement accepting the welfare committee’s decision.

In the afternoon, Weirum reached out to Mardis and agreed to discuss a proposal based on the committee’s decision, including detailed security arrangements. 

That evening, the welfare committee also met with Mardis, SA President Bob Parks, and SCB member Steve Fox. According to SCB, the welfare committee indicated at the meeting that Vandiver, who was not available for the meeting, would veto any appearance from Hoffman due to the serious terrorist threats to the university.

With this new revelation in mind, the SCB held an emergency meeting for two hours that evening, eventually voting on Mardis’ proposal to withdraw the invitation to Hoffman. Only two members voted against the proposal.

Tuesday April 7, 1970

The next morning at 10 a.m., the SCB announced their decision. At 12:30 p.m., the SCB hosted an open meeting to discuss their decision to withdraw the invitation. On a KTRU broadcast of the meeting, SCB member Sarah Cortez is heard expressing her frustration and claiming that the welfare committee lied to the SCB regarding Vandiver’s feelings about the crisis. The students expressed outrage and distrust towards the administration, calling for an all-student convocation.

That afternoon, the welfare committee voted again to uphold their original decision.