 During the late 1960s and early 1970s , universities came under criticism for conducting war @-@ related research particularly as the Vietnam War became unpopular , and Cornell University tried to sever its ties . Cornell accepted a $ 25 @,@ 000 @,@ 000 offer from EDP Technology , Inc. to purchase the lab in 1968 . However , a group of lab employees who had made a competing $ 15 @,@ 000 @,@ 000 offer organized a lawsuit to block the sale . In May 1971 , New York 's highest court ruled that Cornell had the right to sell the lab . At the conclusion of the suit , EDP Technology could not raise the money , and in 1972 , Cornell reorganized the lab as the for @-@ profit Calspan Corporation and then sold its stock in Calspan to the public . 
