In 1969, during protests against the Vietnam War, Tufts voted to ban the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) from campus. They weren't the only ones -- other elite colleges such as Harvard and Columbia did the same. In the midst of this ban, on Sept. 27, 1987, two ROTC helicopters landed in Ellis Oval, delivering 64 ROTC cadets -- including 13 Tufts students -- to campus, according to a Sept. 28, 1987 Daily article. Upon landing, the helicopters were greeted by 35 student protesters from both Tufts and nearby schools. The students were protesting the United States'military involvement in Central America, according to the article. Today, Tufts' acceptance of ROTC has come full circle; it was reinstated in 2011 after the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell in 2010.
Flashback Friday: ROTC draws protests amid ban, 1987
