Famous Visitors from 1970's

Hibbing, Minnesota native Vincent Bugliosi, prosecuting attorney for the murders committed by Charles Manson and his followers in 1969, spoke at the Stewart Hall auditorium on Nov. 7, 1978.

Bugliosi also co-authored Helter Skelter, a book about the Manson murders and trial. About 1,000 people attended the lecture sponsored by the University Program Board (UPB).

Daryl Hall and John Oates, better known as Hall & Oates, performed Oct. 22, 1978 at Halenbeck Hall. Sponsored by the University Program Board (UPB) and local radio station KCLD, tickets for the concert cost $4 for students and $5.50 for the public. Hall & Oates performed hits as "Sarah Smile," "Rich Girl" and "She's Gone."

U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy spoke at a rally at St. Cloud State in support of the U.S. Senator from Minnesota and former governor Wendell Anderson.

Anderson lost the election to Republican Rudy Boschwitz.

Journalist Geraldo Rivera spoke April 27, 1978 at Halenbeck Hall.

The lecture, sponsored by the campus Major Events Council, discussed his career as a journalist, protests of the 1960s and the day's current events.

Beat poet and activist Allen Ginsberg read poetry at Atwood Memorial Center's Coffeehouse Apocalypse.

The event, sponsored by the Atwood Board of Governors (ABOG), featured Ginsberg reading his poetry, including "Between One Breath and Another."

Sponsored by the campus Major Events Council, rock group Kansas headlined a bill at Halenbeck Hall that also included opening act Cheap Trick.

Kansas opened the show with their new single "Carry On Wayward Son" and also performed "Lonely Wind," "Miracles Out of Nowhere" and "Magnum Opus."

Student tickets cost $2 and public admission was $4. About 4,800 people attended the concert.

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• Kansas singer Robbie Steinhardt
• Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielson singing
• Cheap Trick singer Rob Zander

Sponsored by the campus Major Events Council, Bob Hope performed Dec. 1, 1976 at Halenbeck Hall. 

Joined by singer Patrician Price, Hope received a standing ovation from the 3500 spectators as the show began. Hope sang songs, including "Smoke Gets in My Eyes" and "Thanks for the Memories" and performed in a comedy sketch.

Hope told many jokes, targeting current President Gerald Ford, President-elect Jimmy Carter and Minnesota Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton. The biggest cheer was when he offered Price his lapel to sniff and quipped "dig that, that's an afternoon at Landy's Packing," a meat processing plant south of campus.

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• Bob Hope
• Bob Hope and Patricia Price
• Sign outside of Halenbeck Hall

Leon and Mary Russell performed Sept. 24, 1976 at Halenbeck Hall. Advertised as "The Leon Russell Show," Russell performed with his wife Mary McCreary Russell. They were touring in support of an album they had recently released.

Student tickets were $2. General public tickets were $5.

Vice President Nelson Rockefeller spoke Nov. 15, 1975 at Stewart Hall, during the Minnesota Republican convention.

Rockefeller, who served as Gerald Ford's vice president from 1974-1977, was greeted by pro-life supporters who opposed Rockefeller's views on abortion.

Filmmaker Frank Capra, best known for such films as It’s a Wonderful Life, It Happened One Night, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, spoke at the Stewart Hall Auditorium.

His lecture, “Public Morality and Artistic Freedom,” was part of the activities for the dedication of the Kiehle Visual Arts Center.

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• Frank Capra visits campus

Astronaut Gerald Carr, who commanded Skylab IV from November 1973 to February 1974, spoke at St. Cloud State.

He discussed space photography and the future of space exploration.

Sponsored by Sigma Alpha Pi and Northland Productions, the Salute to the Fabulous Fifties show was May 8, 1975 at Halenbeck Hall.

The show featured actors Ken Osmond (Eddie Haskell from “Leave it to Beaver”), Clayton Moore (the Lone Ranger) and Roger Aswumb (Casey Jones).

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• Casey Jones

Sponsored by St. Cloud State's Delta Zeta sorority and local radio station WJON, Canadian rockers Bachman-Turner Overdrive headlined a bill that also featured Bob Seger and Thin Lizzy.

The performance was held at Halenbeck Hall and tickets cost $6 in advance.

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• Bachman-Turner Overdrive

As part of the 1974 Homecoming activities, Bill Cosby performed Oct. 11, 1974 at Halenbeck Hall. Also on the bill was singer Dave Loggins, best known for his 1974 hit "Please Come to Boston."

Tickets for the concert cost $2 for students, $3.50 for all others.

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• Bill Cosby

Ku Klux Klan (KKK) Grand Dragon David Duke spoke to a capacity crowd Sept. 18, 1974 at Halenbeck Hall.

The 24-year-old graduate of Louisiana State University was greeted with "jeers, boos, and applause." Protestors chanted and held signs to show their displeasure at Duke's appearance.

The Sept. 20, 1974 edition of the Chronicle said that Duke's speech was "in part an attempt to document the KKK's theories regarding Jews and communism, the differences between the races, and the history of white America."

Duke would later run for political office, most notably a 1991 run for governor of Louisiana.

Leonard Nimoy, best known for his role as Mr. Spock in the 1960s television series and film franchise Star Trek, gave a lecture at Halenbeck Hall entitled "Star Trek Adventures."

The lecture, which was sponsored by the Major Events Council, focused on Nimoy's time on the Star Trek television series.

Professional bowler Dick Ritger gave a bowling clinic April 9, 1974 at Atwood Memorial Center.

Ritger bowled in the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) from 1964-1979, winning 20 titles. He was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in 1978.

Bob Keeshan, better known as Captain Kangaroo, visited campus April 5-6, 1974.

Keeshan was in St. Cloud to help celebrate the "Week of the Young Child." Keeshan spoke to students in the Education Building and appeared as Captain Kangaroo at a breakfast for community children in Garvey Commons. The television program Captain Kangaroo ran on CBS from 1955-1984.

Sponsored by the Major Events Council, actor Vincent Price gave a free public lecture at Halenbeck Hall.

Price, a noted American film actor, discussed his film career and art.

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• Vincent Price

Actor John Carradine appeared at Stage 1 of the Performing Arts Center in a program billed “An Evening with John Carradine.”. Best known for his film roles in The 10 Commandments and The Grapes of Wrath, Carradine read passages from the Bible, speeches of Abraham Lincoln, and assumed the roles of Shakespeare’s characters King Richard II and Hamlet.

Washington Post reporter Carl Bernstein visited St. Cloud State to discuss the June 1972 Watergate break-in. Along with colleague Bob Woodward, Bernstein won a Pulitzer Prize for their work, which led to US president Richard Nixon to resign in August 1974.

Christine Jorgensen, formally known as George Jorgensen, spoke May 1, 1973 in Atwood Ballroom.

In 1950 in Denmark, Jorgensen underwent the world’s first sex reassignment surgery. The surgeries to transfer Jorgensen from a man to a woman were performed by Danish doctor Christian Hamburger.

As part of campus May Daze activities, Elton John headlined a concert May 15, 1972 at Halenbeck Hall. Tickets cost $1.50 for students and $3 for the general public.

According to the May 19, 1972 edition of the Chronicle, Elton John opened with the song "Tiny Dancer" and also performed "Levon."

Just over a year after performing a free concert at Stewart Hall's auditorium, folk singer John Denver returned to campus on Dec. 9, 1970.

With tickets free to St. Cloud State College students, 5,000 spectators filled Halenbeck Hall to see him perform. Denver finished his set by playing "America the Beautiful."