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Brandeis University Founded
Brandeis University is founded in Waltham, MA. Abram L. Sacher is the university's first president. -
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Founding to Present
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Students Take Over Ford Hall
The African-American student association leads students in the occuption of Ford Hall for 10 days and rename the school Malcolm X University. Among their demands is the creation of an African-American Studies department and increased recruitment of African-American students. -
The Brandeis Labor Coalition is conceived
The Brandeis Labor Coalition, which embarked on a worker pay parity campaign over the next few years, grew out of a course which began on this day. Taught by Professor Cunningham, one section of this class focused on labor and activism; led by TA Suzy Stone, the group quickly started learning about the labor strikes at Harvard and researching labor issues at Brandeis. -
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Students from Stone's section meet with workers at Brandeis
The students started meeting with the custodians, figuring out what issues they were having, and seeing if they could help. They focused on the smaller issues that custodians were having with day-to-day things, such as days off, scheduling, and general issues. They also did a lot of research into the policies and practices of Brandeis University, aiming to find out what was happening at their own school. -
Kraft Referendum Vote
The referendum to boycott Kraft (Philip Morris) products in the dining halls is put to a vote. Although more people vote than in any other Student Union vote before or since (as of 2012), the boycott loses by 21 votes. -
Students began talks with SEIU (Service Employees International Union) 615
Talking to the local janitor's labor union, the students began looking for a way to acheive pay parity for the custodians at Brandeis. -
Brandeis hires workers formerly contracted by Hurley of America
After a long campaign, the university hires 22 Brandeis workers formerly employed through the contracting comapny Hurley of America. This ends a pay disparity of several dollars per hour and breaks with Hurley's unethical business practices. -
First Social Movements Practicum Offered
The experiential learning practicum course for "Protests, Politics, and Change: Social Movements," which begins this archival project, is offered for the first time.
