In 105 Dartmouth Hall on the evening of May 23, 1962, an overflow audience of students and Upper Valley residents rose to their feet to welcome the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This event, a lecture on the state of the American civil rights movement, was the highlight of the year's Great Issues Course, a core academic component for all graduating seniors of the classes of 1947 through 1966. Although this would be Dr. King's first and, regrettably, last address to the student body, it was not his only visit to the Dartmouth community. As the result of the turbulence and upheaval of the civil rights era, Dr. King's Dartmouth lecture actually marked the College's third attempt to secure an address by this historic and influential American leader. His words, their meaning, and the passion with which only Dr. King could deliver them profoundly influenced those who attended the evening lecture.
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