Iconic Imagery of Jeff Roberts ’68

A photographer who documented a historic campus era donates his collection of 3,000-plus images to the University.

STRIKE AND POSE: Roberts captured some of the foment of the late 1960s, including images of student protests against the arrival on campus of recruiters for Dow Chemical Corporation—the makers of napalm for the Vietnam War—and a general student strike in the spring of 1968.

A collection of images that captures the University of the late 1960s—student strikes, freshman week, and a range of other campus activities—is now part of the University’s Archives.

Taken by former Interpres photography editor Jeff Roberts ’68, the collection of more than 3,000 negatives, contact sheets, and prints includes photographs that are considered some of the most recognizable and iconic images from a sometimes tumultuous period at Rochester.

The collection offers both a representation of Roberts’s four years as a student and an unedited perspective of what it was like to be a student at the time. It includes well-known snapshots of University history as well as photos that capture the moments just before and after the iconic images were taken, many of which show a range of emotions and, sometimes, people.

Roberts made a point to make his gift in time for Meliora Weekend 2019. As a result, members of the Class of 1969, many of whom are in the photographs and attended the 50th reunion celebration, were able to see and enjoy the photos. Roberts was also able to help classmates identify themselves in the images and provide some of the stories behind the pictures.

page39_top-rightroberts062_greyscale — CHANGING SCENES: In the 1960s, the Great Hall in Rush Rhees Library had windows that offered views that are no longer available.

page39_top-left_roberts063_greyscale — DERBY DAYS: The collection captures a range of campus scenes, such as the Pushcart Derby, an annual Dandelion Day event.

page39_bottom_roberts049_greyscale — TIME CAPSULE: Among the 3,000 or so images in Roberts’s collection are photographs, like this one from a campus protest, that document what it was like to be a Rochester student during a tumultuous time.

— Matt Cook

This article originally appeared in the fall 2019 issue of Rochester Review magazine.

Staff in the University Archives will be working to digitize the collection and place it online in the near future for alumni to view, add comments, and share memories. Once available, a link to the archives will be added to this story. Click here to learn more about the River Campus Libraries and their ongoing projects.