The Lottery
A Brief Overview of Campus Climate During the Vietnam War
Students and the Selective Service System
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1965 was a grim year for students at the University of Michigan and people around the United States that opposed the Vietnam War. In March, the United States entered the Vietnam War despite the fact that the government never made an official declaration of war (Lawrence 2008, 8). For the entirety of U.S. involvement in the war, students protested.
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In 1966, “University students picketed the home of University President Harlan Hatcher in protest of cooperation with the Selective Service System” (“Selective Service Praised, Protested, Reviewed” 1966).
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The first Teach-In happened as a response to the Vietnam War on the Michigan Campus (Zweig 1965). Today, Teach-In’s are held nationwide as a form of educational protest.
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On October 15th, 1965, University of Michigan students participated in a nation Sit-In of Selective Service offices. 39 people were arrested by the Ann Arbor Police, of which 36 were sentenced to 10 days in jail and a fine (“Arrest 39 Protesters” 1965).
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15 of the protestors were reclassified to 1A, which meant they were likely to be drafted. After this incident, the University released a statement in support of the students (“U Statement Opposes Punative Action in Draft Status Changes” 1965).
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Despite the efforts to end the Selective Service Program, the draft continued throughout the war, though registration was suspended in 1975. For young men who were eligable, the draft lottery was met with much emotion (“Lottery Fixes Order for Draft” 1969). In 1980, Selective Service was reinstated and remains intact today (“Background of Selective Service”).
Students protesting the Vietnam War outside the Crisler Arena.
Sources
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Arrest 39 Protesters.” Michigan Daily Digital Archives, October 16, 1965.
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“Background of Selective Service.” Accessed April 28, 2017.
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Lawrence, Mark Atwood. The Vietnam War a Concise International History. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.
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“Lottery Fixes Order for Draft.” Michigan Daily Digital Archives, December 2, 1969.
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“Selective Service Praised, Protested, Reviewed.” Michigan Daily Digital Archives, August 30, 1966.
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“U Statement Opposes Punative Action in Draft Status Changes.” Michigan Daily Digital Archives, December 2, 1965.
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Zweig, Michael. “Michael Zweig Papers, 1963-1967.,” 1963