2026-05-10T23:40:49Z

Bill Ellis papers

Creator

Ellis, Bill, 1950-

Abstract Or Scope

This collection contains the papers of Bill Ellis related to the the May Day protests of 1970 at the University of Virginia. Ellis participated in these events as a student, and the collection contains material created and collected during this time. The papers comprise of four computer-generated banners, a bulletin, posters, and a summary report by the Virginia Strike Committee. The report details the events when State and Local Police confronted protesters on the U.Va. campus and Rugby Road, arresting many students for unlawful assembly on May 8 -9, 1970. The computer-generated banners read "It is the hand of Wynd," Rake Wenga Strike," and "I'd Prefer not to." "It is the hand of Wynd" is printed against a repeated pattern of "punt punt punt." Wynd is a reference to the Tolkien "wyrd (meaning "fate" in Anglo-Saxon), "Punt" referred to doing something enjoyable. The banner likely encouraged people to take a break from mid-term exams. The second reads "RAKE WENGA STRIKE" against a repeating background of "raw*ton*this*tae*" etc. etc. Both of those reflect a concern for administrative actions against profanity as students with signs that included profanity were arrested for public obscenity. The slogan was thus coded and would have been understood as meaning "F--K AGNEW-STRIKE" with the Vice President's name written backward. The final slogan, "I'd Prefer not to," was printed against a repeating background of "Bartleby* died*for*your*sins...strike*strike*strike, " a literary reference to Melville's Bartleby the Scrivener.

view more view less

Collection Context

1. University of Virginia, Special Collections Dept.