Kent State was again in the national spotlight in 1977 when construction was set to begin on the Memorial Gym Annex , adjacent to the area where the Kent State shootings had occurred in 1970 . Protesters organized a tent city in May , which lasted into July . Several attempts were made to block construction even after the end of the tent city , including an appeal to the United States Congress and the Department of the Interior to have the area declared a National Historic Landmark , which ended up being unsuccessful . Additional rallies were held that year , including one attended by Joan Baez on August 20 . After several additional unsuccessful legal challenges , construction finally began on September 19 and was finished in 1979
Kent State shootings
Kent State shootings
Kent State University