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Campaigning Wiki

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Summary

From 1967 to 1969, US college students, led by Students for a Democratic Society and the Student Peace Union, campaigned to stop Dow Chemical from manufacturing napalm and to end university ties with the military-industrial complex. The campaign employed marches, sit-ins, teach-ins, and blockades across campuses. Although Dow lost its government napalm contract in June 1969, the campaign’s specific demands for divestment and an end to recruitment were not met.

Background

The United States used napalm in Vietnam, causing horrific burns, and Dow Chemical won the government contract to manufacture it in 1965. In January 1967, Rampart magazine published color photographs of mutilated Vietnamese napalm victims, intensifying public outrage. Students demanded that Dow stop producing napalm and that universities sever ties with the company and the military-industrial complex.

What happened

The campaign began with a rally at Dow’s headquarters on 8 August 1966, followed by the first campus demonstration at UC Berkeley in October 1966 [source: nv-database]. In fall 1967, students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison staged sit-ins at Dow recruitment offices; the second sit-in in October 1967 led to police beating demonstrators, with protesters retaliating with rock-throwing and spitting, marking the first recorded violence at a campus anti-Vietnam war protest [source: nv-database]. Organizers at Harvard blockaded a Dow recruiter for 7 hours, and similar actions occurred nationwide [source: nv-database]. On 6 May 1968, activists organized a lecture to the Dow board, but the board voted to renew the contract [source: nv-database]. By 1969, burnout and infighting among student groups led to disarray [source: nv-database]. In June 1969, Dow lost its government napalm contract, but student protests continued, shifting to demand university divestment and an end to recruitment, which were not achieved [source: nv-database].

Key people & organizations

  • Students for a Democratic Society
  • Student Peace Union
  • The National Committee of Clergy and Laymen Concerned about Vietnam
  • Dow Chemical Company

Tactics used

The campaign combined public protest, civil disobedience, and persuasive tactics to stigmatize Dow and pressure universities, escalating from marches and sit-ins to blockades and demands for divestment. [source: nv-database]

Outcome

Verdict: partial.

While the campaign failed to directly stop Dow from manufacturing napalm or end campus recruitment, Dow lost its government contract in June 1969, possibly due to the stigmatization campaign. The campaign achieved growth and national media coverage, but its specific demands for divestment and recruitment bans were not met. [source: nv-database]

Lessons

  • Sustained nonviolent direct action can stigmatize a corporation and contribute to loss of government contracts, even if immediate demands are not met.
  • Internal divisions and burnout can undermine campaign momentum and effectiveness.
  • Coalition-building with external allies like clergy can broaden support but may create tactical disagreements.

Sources

Disclaimer: Included as a teaching example of campaign craft, not as endorsement.

Sources & verification

  • nv-database — grounding: primary — license: link-only
  • Rewritten: 2026-06-25 via worker_casestudies_v2.py

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