Tangeman Bridge

This is the Veterans Memorial Bridge, also known as the Tangeman Bridge, which originally ran at a ninety-degree angle to its current location. The original bridge was removed during UC’s recent campus redesign, but was a major hotspot for political activity on campus between 1965 and 2001. The bridge was located between the Tangeman University Center and McMicken Hall, making it an optimal place for announcements, posters, and political conversations. One of the many important historical events to occur on the bridge was in 1969 when the United Black Association (UBA) announced eighteen demands for UC’s administration to address equal rights and opportunities for Black students. They then walked to the Van Wormer Administration building to present these demands to the president. Along with the eighteen demands, they also called for classes to be canceled until the president responded, which did not end up happening, causing campus-wide protests to escalate quickly. Protesters disrupted classes in McMicken Hall by throwing desks and chairs out of windows and even started small fires as an attempt to force students to leave their classes. In the end, the protest dwindled and a small group returned to the bridge.