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Gulf War Response at Hamilton, 1991

Overview

When Iraq invaded Kuwait on August 2, 1990, The Spectator began tracking the crisis through national news briefs and campus commentary. By the time the United States launched Operation Desert Storm on January 16, 1991, Hamilton College had become a site of significant campus debate and organized peace activism. The primary vehicle was HOPE (Hamilton Organization for Peace on Earth), a student organization founded in the spring of 1988 in response to the nuclear arms race that had pivoted by the fall of 1990 to the Gulf crisis. HOPE organized a peace vigil in the Chapel, an all-day speak-out forum, a civil disobedience workshop, participation in a national Washington peace rally, and a confrontational protest against Marine Corps recruiters in Bristol Campus Center. The campus response was notably split: a Spectator survey found 70% of students supported President Bush’s decision to go to war, with a sharp divide between dining hall populations suggesting a class or affiliation dimension. Pro-war sentiment was voiced by the Young Republican Club, by counter-protesters during the Bristol demonstration, and by student letters to the editor. The period constitutes one of the more fully documented moments of divided campus political opinion in the Spectator archive.

Key Points

HOPE (Hamilton Organization for Peace on Earth) — Origins and Leadership: HOPE was founded approximately three years before the Gulf War — placing its origins in the 1987–88 academic year — in response to the nuclear arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union. Co-founder Lisa Rawson ‘91 described the founding impulse as: “We just felt it was the right time to found a peace-oriented organization.” Peter Rabinowitz, Music professor, served as HOPE’s faculty sponsor from the outset. Student leaders active during the Gulf War period included Lisa Rawson ‘91, Bill Thackeray ‘91, Charlie Siskel ‘91, Andrew Metz ‘91, and Mike Zapruder ‘91. By the time the Gulf War broke out, the organization had a nucleus of committed members; Michelle Kweder ‘92 and Chris Dixon ‘93 were among those who joined specifically in response to the war. HOPE explicitly positioned itself as educational rather than advocacy-based, attempting to allow all viewpoints on the Gulf War to be openly expressed — a stance that drew criticism from the Young Republican Club when the February speak-out skewed heavily anti-war. (The Spectator, September 28, 1990; The Spectator, February 1, 1991; The Spectator, March 29, 1991)

Divestment Roots — HOPE’s Pre-War Activism: The September 28, 1990 Spectator reveals an important prehistory: HOPE had been engaged in South African divestment advocacy before the Gulf War, with Peter Rabinowitz articulating the position that “the existence of Hamilton’s funds in these companies is an inappropriate support of apartheid.” Acting President Dan O’Leary had defended Hamilton’s investments at the time. This context is significant — HOPE was already an established campus actor with an administrative relationship when the Gulf crisis began; it was not formed in response to the war. (The Spectator, September 28, 1990)

Pre-War Campus Awareness — Fall 1990: The Spectator carried national news briefs on the Gulf crisis from the opening of the fall 1990 semester, including items on the CIA predicting the Kuwait invasion, Iraqi looting of Kuwait, and oil price surges. The Model United Nations Club discussed the Security Council’s ten resolutions on the crisis at a November 1990 dinner. Faculty member Stephen Orvis (Government) served as the Model UN faculty advisor. A member of the Model UN, Nkambule, expressed concern that the campus was not sufficiently engaged: “I’m worried about the awareness of this campus — I hope that people don’t just forget the news but think about and question what is happening around them.” (The Spectator, September 14, 1990; The Spectator, November 9, 1990)

Peace Vigil, January 25, 1991: On the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — the same week Operation Desert Storm began — approximately 250 students gathered in the Chapel for an interfaith peace vigil. Protestant Chaplain Nya Taryor welcomed the group, saying: “We are not here to polarize the community; rather, we wish to stand in solidarity with those who are struggling and caught in the middle of crisis.” He characterized the evening as “a sharing of Holy Scriptures” from different religious traditions. Catholic Chaplain Father John Croghan led the community in prayer, calling for “social justice and charity in deeds and truth” and encouraging the community to “make Dr. Martin Luther King’s mission of peace a reality in our world today.” Jewish Chaplain Heidi Ravven read a passage from Jeremiah. Students recited messages of peace from the Gospel of Matthew, the Koran, and Hindu scriptures. Director of Multicultural Affairs Karen Green connected King’s legacy to the current moment, quoting him: “Peace represents a sweeter music. Each and every one of us can create such a melody.” In closing remarks, President Hank Payne expressed “despair” about the crisis, questioned the “endlessness of war,” and called upon the community to “create angels” through interaction with classmates and colleagues. Payne noted that the vigil had replaced a planned MLK birthday address by journalist Willard Strait (father of Eric Strait ‘94), which had been cancelled when war broke out. (The Spectator, January 25, 1991)

Campus Survey on the War: A Spectator survey administered randomly in the Commons and McEwen dining halls shortly after the war’s outbreak — with 120 individual responses — found that 70% of respondents supported President Bush’s decision to commit U.S. forces to war, and only 34% thought sanctions should have been given more time. The survey also asked whether Israel should retaliate for Iraqi missile attacks, whether civilian neighborhoods should be bombed if harboring military equipment, whether it was worth a long war with many casualties, whether the U.S. should specifically try to kill Saddam Hussein, and whether protesting the war was “unpatriotic.” The survey revealed a sharp dining hall divide: 93% of Commons diners supported Bush compared to only 48% in McEwen; 78% of McEwen respondents thought the U.S. was fighting for oil. The correlation between dining halls and political opinion likely reflects the Greek-system/non-Greek split between the two halls. This polling documentation provides an unusual quantitative window into student political opinion. (The Spectator, January 25, 1991)

HOPE Speak-Out Forum, February 1, 1991: HOPE sponsored an all-day open forum in the Chapel from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. President Payne endorsed the event by memo to the Hamilton community. Organizers were Lisa Rawson ‘91, Charlie Siskel ‘91, Andrew Metz ‘91, and Mike Zapruder ‘91. Morning sessions featured informal discussion groups led by faculty and students alongside continuous showings of James Klein’s documentary film “Letter to the Next Generation” (about student activism in the Vietnam era versus student complacency in the 1980s). The afternoon featured a formal speak-out. Expert speakers invited included Shaw Dellal (Kuwaiti businessman and professor at Syracuse University), Father Joseph Thomas (civilian chaplain for the 82nd Airborne at Fort Bragg), David Hakken (Associate Professor of Anthropology at SUNY Technological College at Utica, who had been active in the 1960s anti-war movement), and Darin Hickman ‘91, President of the Black and Latin Student Union. Only one student — Noah Rabinowitz ‘94 — spoke in support of the war. Members of the Young Republican Club expressed disdain that the advertised goal of all-viewpoints representation was not realized. Zapruder acknowledged in HOPE’s defense: “We tried to get anyone to speak out in favor of the war, and could only get one person.” President Payne said he felt the speak-out “lacked balance” but pledged to continue funding events organized by “any and all groups” who wanted to stimulate thought about the war. (The Spectator, February 1, 1991; The Spectator, February 8, 1991)

Washington Peace Rally, January 26, 1991: Close to 30 Hamilton students and professors traveled by chartered bus (departing between midnight and 3:00 a.m.) to attend the national peace rally in Washington, D.C. Hamilton students carried posterboards reading “Just Say No to World War III” and “Cease Fire Now and Negotiate.” They shouted slogans suggesting that President Bush could have prevented the war and displayed a Hamilton banner near the Department of Education building. Nationally, an estimated 150,000–200,000 attended; the march proceeded down Pennsylvania Avenue in rows of 25–30. Only one protester was reported arrested. Bill Thackeray ‘91 described arriving to find “a mob scene” on Pennsylvania Avenue. Lee Arnold ‘94 called it “an incredible feeling of community and solidarity.” Anna Potter ‘91 described it as “a great way to support our troops and bring them home.” Heidi Hiemstra ‘91 was impressed by the diversity of attendees — “even an ‘Astronomers for Peace’ group.” Victoria Vernon, Associate Professor of Comparative Literature, attended the rally but was disturbed by minimal media coverage, calling it “the largest rally I’ve been to by far, but it had the smallest amount of media coverage.” Thackeray said he and others were called “unpatriotic” by Bush policy supporters at the rally, but no violence ensued. Groups from Syracuse, Colgate, Cornell, Ithaca College, and Vassar were also present. (The Spectator, February 1, 1991)

Marine Recruiter Protest, February 6, 1991: The first major on-campus anti-war demonstration hit Hamilton when up to sixty protesters opposed United States Marine Corps recruiters who had set up a table in the Bristol Campus Center lobby. Protesters — including members of HOPE, the Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Student Alliance (GLBSA), and La Vanguardia — wore skeleton face-paint and military fatigues, lay sprawled on the floor pretending to be casualties of war, and carried “dead bodies” on stretchers. The protest occupied Bristol for nearly three hours and drew regional media coverage (Observer-Dispatch and WKTV in Utica). The event was dubbed “Guerilla Theatre” by protesters, who also distributed alternative news materials. A vocal counter-group organized by Ray Conta ‘92 parked cars outside, waved American flags, and blasted patriotic music on their radios. Captain Thomas Daly (Syracuse-based USMC selection officer) was not openly angry, noting: “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion.” Brian French ‘91, a Young Republican, said: “I respect their right to protest, but I thought it was tasteless. The marine recruiters were just doing their jobs.” Student protesters offered varied reasons for their opposition: Matthew Backes ‘93 questioned the validity of the war rationale; Chris Bankes ‘92 argued that because the military excluded gay and lesbian members, the college should not allow recruitment on campus; Jacintha Halman ‘93 protested the disproportionate number of Black servicemembers in the Gulf: “I think the war is very racist; the majority of men over there are black males.” A few passersby kicked or stepped on the hands of those in skeleton garb, prompting a student letter to the editor defending free expression while condemning the behavior. (The Spectator, February 8, 1991)

Draft Counseling Session, February 1991: HOPE invited Utica-area draft counselor Edie Weintraub to campus to present facts on what a draft reinstatement would mean and to outline conscientious objector options. Lisa Rawson ‘91 opened the session by asking whether attendees thought a draft was likely or were simply uninformed; most said they wanted to know their options. Mike Zapruder ‘91 pointedly compared Bush’s no-draft pledge to his earlier no-new-taxes pledge. (The Spectator, February 15, 1991)

Guerilla Theatre at McEwen, February 1991: Twelve students staged guerilla theater in McEwen, Commons, the Azel Backus House, and Bristol Campus Center on a Friday during lunchtime to protest what they characterized as biased media coverage of the Gulf War and a “tide of militarism redirecting people’s thoughts away from other issues” (Matt Backes ‘93). Backes reported that the reaction in McEwen was “surprisingly hostile” and the protesters abbreviated their remaining scheduled performances. (The Spectator, February 22, 1991)

Rally at Utica College in Solidarity, February 1991: More than 25 Hamilton students participated in a rally in Utica, alongside students from Utica College who had received racist threatening letters. Nya Taryor — acting in his capacity as President of the Mohawk Valley Multi-Ethnic Consortium as well as Protestant Chaplain — counseled UC students and wrote a letter of solidarity to the UC Black Student Union. The rally at the Utica Post Office Building called for multicultural harmony and international peace, linking the anti-racist and anti-war causes. (The Spectator, February 22, 1991)

Congressional Outreach — Rep. Boehlert Visits: Congressman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY, 25th district, which includes most of Oneida County) discussed the Gulf War with students and faculty in the Science Building, opening with personal remarks based on his Congressional briefings before taking questions. The visit was part of a pattern of Boehlert frequenting the Hill during his political career. (The Spectator, February 15, 1991)

Model UN Lecture on Jihad: Russell Blackwood, John Stewart Kennedy Professor of Philosophy, addressed the concept of Jihad in a lecture sponsored by the Model United Nations Club as part of a series on Middle Eastern affairs. Blackwood distinguished Al Jihad al-akbar (the inner spiritual struggle) from al Jihad al-asghar (the struggle against evil conditions), positioning this as contextual education for students navigating the war’s religious dimensions. (The Spectator, February 22, 1991)

Blood Drive for Gulf Troops: A Red Cross bloodmobile drive on campus was noted in the context of the Gulf War; the college physician noted that some blood collected could aid allied troops in the Persian Gulf if necessary. (The Spectator, February 15, 1991)

HOPE’s Post-War Pivot — Civil Disobedience Workshop and Tibet Focus: With the ceasefire in late February 1991, HOPE did not dissolve. The organization ran a Civil Disobedience Workshop on March 2–3 and 9–10, organized by Chris Dixon ‘93, described as “a forum to define non-violent tactics during acts of civil disobedience.” HOPE also sponsored a trip to Ithaca to hear the Dalai Lama speak and networked with Colgate students on Tibetan issues and homelessness advocacy. Michelle Kweder ‘92 stated HOPE’s continued focus: “We don’t feel the war is over — information concerning the environmental effects is scarce, but now we’re going to concentrate on Tibet.” Lisa Rawson ‘91 characterized HOPE’s long-term mission as “unbiased education.” HOPE planned to publish a newsletter with articles on Tibet injustices. (The Spectator, March 29, 1991)

Expert Lecture — Post-War Defense Policy: On March 8, 1991, Michael Klare — Five College Associate Professor of Peace and World Security Studies and defense correspondent for The Nation — lectured on “The Persian Gulf War and America’s Post-Cold War Defense Policy.” Klare brought twenty years of experience in defense policy analysis and had participated in Vietnam-era protests at Columbia. Hamilton History professor Maurice Isserman helped organize the event and framed its significance: “If indeed the Vietnam Syndrome is dead and buried, and Bush and his advisors are considering further and more frequent use of military force, then the future of our defense policy is relevant to everyone.” (The Spectator, March 8, 1991)

Vietnam Comparison — Historical Framing: The March 1, 1991 Spectator ran a retrospective feature comparing the Gulf War campus response to Vietnam-era activism at Hamilton. Faculty veterans of the Vietnam protest era provided recollections: James Ring (Winslow Professor of Physics) noted that in the late 1960s “the faculty were against the war” before students became engaged, and that student involvement intensified once the draft became real. Austin Briggs (Hamilton B. Tompkins Professor of English) recalled that “a substantial number of faculty were protesting” by the war’s end. Both noted Hamilton’s relatively constrained response compared to larger universities: “Hamilton doesn’t get excited the way many campuses do — that’s because it is a smaller” institution. The article recalled the “Clinton 13,” who in November 1967 blocked a Marine recruiter’s car — and the administration’s resulting framework that protest was permitted as long as it did not disrupt college life — as precedent for the 1991 protests. Russell Blackwood (Philosophy) remembered adjudicating the Clinton 13 case: “It was all done in a very Hamilton way, it was very civil.” (The Spectator, March 1, 1991)

Daily Bull and Publications Board Controversy: Andrew Metz ‘91, editor of the Daily Bull (the campus humor/commentary publication), faced criticism at the Publications Board’s first meeting of the spring semester over anti-war sentiments published in that outlet. Metz defended the Bull’s political inclinations and subsequently invited the campus to submit opposing views. This episode reveals a second editorial front in the Gulf War debate, separate from the Spectator itself. (The Spectator, February 8, 1991)

Taryor’s Central Role: Nya Taryor — Professor and Protestant Chaplain — appears at nearly every documented Gulf War campus event: hosting the January peace vigil, counseling Utica College students after racist threats intertwined with the anti-war moment, and serving as President of the Mohawk Valley Multi-Ethnic Consortium. His framing consistently linked spiritual and interfaith traditions to peace advocacy without taking overt political stances, making him the key institutional bridge between the Chapel, multicultural affairs, and student activism. (The Spectator, January 25, 1991; The Spectator, February 22, 1991)

Pro-War Counter-Voices: Documented pro-war or pro-policy voices at Hamilton included: Ray Conta ‘92, who organized the counter-protest at Bristol; Brian French ‘91 (Young Republican Club), who criticized the HOPE forum as one-sided and argued college-sponsored events would better ensure balance; Noah Rabinowitz ‘94, the sole speaker at the February speak-out who publicly supported the war; and anonymous or named students in letters and survey responses. The survey’s 93% Commons approval rate for Bush’s decision suggests concentrated pro-war sentiment in that dining hall’s population. Dan Weiss ‘92 said he was “in complete support of the U.S. and the coalition.” Mark Berger ‘92 described Saddam Hussein as “a repugnant animal.” (The Spectator, January 25, 1991; The Spectator, February 8, 1991)

Open Questions

• The 1990-09-28 Spectator places HOPE’s founding “three years ago” from the March 1991 article perspective, suggesting approximately 1988 — but the same article elsewhere refers to “the previous spring.” Exact founding date requires reconciliation across sources.
• What happened to HOPE beyond the spring 1991 Tibet focus? Did the organization maintain an active presence through the 1991–92 academic year?
• Were there any organized support-the-troops events (yellow ribbon campaigns, campus rallies in support of the war) documented in issues not yet ingested (e.g., spec-1991-04-x)?
• How did Hamilton’s response compare structurally to those of peer institutions (Colgate, Colby, Amherst)? The Spectator reported on other campuses’ mixed reactions but did not systematically compare Hamilton.
• What was the class-year composition of the 70% who supported the war — and does the Commons/McEwen divide map onto a Greek/independent split?
• Were there any Spectator editorials (unsigned or signed) that took a position on the war itself, beyond news coverage?

Sources

Related Topics

• Student Activism and Social Movements
• Campus Life and Culture
• College Administration and Presidential Leadership
• Race, Diversity, and Inclusion
• HOPE — Hamilton Organization for Peace on Earth (entity, see also: spec-1990-09-28, spec-1982-11-19 for earlier HOPE activity)
• Nya Kwiawon Taryor (entity — Protestant Chaplain; peace vigil host; Mohawk Valley Multi-Ethnic Consortium president)