Oxford in Butler County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Freedom Summer 1964
Photographed by Rev. Ronald Irick, August 29, 2017
1. Freedom Summer 1964 Marker
In what was called the "Freedom Summer" of 1964, more than 800 volunteers, most of them college students, gathered at the Western College for Women (now Western Campus of Miami University) to prepare for African-American voter registration in the South. Three of the volunteers - James Chaney of Mississippi, and Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner of New York - disappeared on June 21, 1964, in rural Mississippi mere days after leaving Oxford, Ohio. Their bodies were discovered forty-four days later, buried in an earthen dam. Ku Klux Klan members were later convicted on federal conspiracy charges. Erected in 1999, this outdoor amphitheater is a memorial to the slain activists, other volunteers, and ideals of the Freedom Summer movement. (Ohio Bi-Centennial logo)
Erected 2000 by Ohio Bicentennial Commission, The Longaberger Company, Oxford NAACP, Miami University and The Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 9-9.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Civil Rights. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1964.
Location. 39° 30.107′ N,
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Cincinnati and in the Miami Valley. It is also in the American Midwest. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Freedom Summer '64 Memorial (a few steps from this marker); Freedom Summer (within shouting distance of this marker); Western College (within shouting distance of this marker); Alumnae Hall (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Ernst Nature Theatre (about 400 feet away); Langstroth Cottage (approx. 0.4
Photographed by Rev. Ronald Irick, August 29, 2017
2. Freedom Summer 1964 Marker
full view of marker
Also see . . . Freedom Summer. Wikipedia article about Freedom Summer (also called the Mississippi Summer Project). (Submitted on October 4, 2019, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.)
Photographed by Rev. Ronald Irick, August 29, 2017
3. Freedom Summer 1964 Marker
as seen from a distance
Photographed by Rev. Ronald Irick, August 29, 2017
4. Freedom Summer 1964 Marker
marker, with amphitheater in background
Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, May 31, 2025
5. Freedom Summer 1964 Marker
The marker has been relocated to the edge of a nearby parking lot.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 26, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 30, 2017, by Rev. Ronald Irick of West Liberty, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,148 times since then and 45 times this year. Last updated on September 1, 2017, by Rev. Ronald Irick of West Liberty, Ohio. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 30, 2017, by Rev. Ronald Irick of West Liberty, Ohio. 5. submitted on July 26, 2025, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
