“Forged by the Fires They Endured”
Smoke rises behind the U.S. Capitol building on April 6, 1968. Credit: Library of Congress.
like the Class of 2020, the M uch Class of 1968 graduated from
Gonzaga in a time of great uncertainty and change. Although the challenges the two classes faced were different, there are striking parallels. Both classes saw the Spring of their senior year disrupted in ways they will never forget. Both classes saw America struggling with and confronting racial
Former Gonzaga Board Member William Miner ’68 says that the adversity his class endured only made them stronger. And he believes the same will be true for the Class of 2020. “Most young men think about their Senior Spring in high school as a victory party—a semester full of fond farewells, reflections on past achievements, and optimism for a limitless future. I can hardly imagine that being the case for
22
gonzaga.org
inequality. Both classes graduated from the comfort of Eye Street to enter into a world of civil unrest and social upheaval. We reached out to several members of the Class of 1968 and asked them to share some memories from their senior year—a time in Gonzaga’s history that in many ways reminds us of today.
the Gonzaga Class of 2020. It certainly was not for the Eagles graduating in 1968. In the Spring of 1968, the plans for graduating with fanfare and stepping forward into a new world of promise were abruptly canceled. The Vietnam War consumed the news and mortally threatened all young men that qualified for the draft. Any deferment for college or otherwise would do. The fear of the draft
William Miner ’68
