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NBC Memories 1942 - 1964
by Bill Roddy
Mario Savio
and the Free Speech Movement
at U. C. Berkeley, 1964
The Sproul Incident
In
1964, the University of California at Berkeley was in turmoil. Students
protested the restriction of political activity on campus. There were sit-ins
and arrests.
Their leader was Mario Savio.
NBC News assigned me to cover the activities and with my tape recorder I spent
many days on the campus. I will never forget the Sproul incident.
One morning San Francisco newspapers blazed with the headline:
"Students Ransack Sproul Office."
There was no more revered figure on campus than Robert Gordon Sproul, president
of the university from 1930 to 1958. After his retirement he became President Emeritus
and maintained an office and secretary on campus.
According to the story the students had broken into his office and trashed the
place.
The charge of vandalism was extremely damaging to the students and their cause
and a story that had to be covered. I went to Sproul's office.
I was greeted by his secretary, an elderly white haired lady who showed me
around.
The office was in terrible condition; papers and opened books were strewn all
over the floor. File cabinets were overflowing. It looked bad for the students.
I told her they had been accused of ransacking the office and she
laughed.
"Why I've been with Dr. Sproul for thirty-five years, our office has always looked like this!"
"Could I borrow a typewriter?"
She led me to one and I hurriedly began typing.
I grabbed the sheet of paper, ran down the stairs to the plaza in front of the
Administration Building. It was noon and Mario was speaking to a throng of
students.
When there was a break in his speech I ran up to him, thrust the paper
into his
hands, and said, "Mario, read this word for word."
I started my tape recorder and he began, "NBC News has learned..."
He finished the story, "Our office has always looked like this!"
The students collapsed in laughter, which continued for minutes. Mario said,
"Thanks, NBC." and the students cheered. I got it all on tape.
I hurried back to the studios in San Francisco, grabbed an engineer and we fed
the tape to New York.
The story ran coast to coast on the hourly NBC radio news and on the Morgan Beatty
News that
night.
It remains one of my most treasured memories.
Bill
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