Stanford in Turmoil

A rare insider's look at Stanford's experience of dramatic political unrest during the late 1960s and early 1970s, during which time the author served as the university's vice president, provost, and then president.

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Stanford in Turmoil is a rare insider's look at one school's experience of dramatic political unrest during the late 1960s and early 1970s. It provides a unique perspective on the events that roiled the campus during this period—a period in which the author, Richard Lyman, served as the university's vice president, provost, and then president. In a cross between memoir and history, the book guides us through major cases of arson, including the destruction of the president's office, the notorious "Cambodia Spring" of 1970—when dozens of students and police were injured—and the forced resignation of another Stanford president after just nineteen months in office. Remarkably, Stanford's prestige and academic strength grew unabated throughout this time of crisis. How this came to pass is the central theme of Stanford in Turmoil.