The Western Herald reported on both blizzards.
In 1967, an article in the Herald on Wednesday, February 1 (“Western Digs Out After Worst Snowstorm in Kalamazoo History” by Bob Markworth) reported, “The worst blizzard ever recorded in Kalamazoo history paralyzed WMU and Kalamazoo itself last weekend. Snowfall totaling more than 21 inches from Thursday morning to Sunday morning damaged Read Fieldhouse and brought activity to a standstill.”
An article from Wednesday, February 1, 1978 (“Greatest blizzard ever chokes all of Michigan” by Herald Staff) describes a much more intense scene, “Thursday’s blizzard which started in the Kalamazoo area late Wednesday night and roared through the state Thursday and into the early morning hours Friday has been called the worst in state history. The storm dumped as much as 20 inches of snow and blamed for nearly a dozen deaths as the wind whipped snow piled 12 to 15 ft. drifts in some areas.”
Thankfully, the damage to Read Fieldhouse in 1967 was not structural. A snow pile slid down the slope of the roof knocking down a wall that was constructed merely for aesthetic purposes. This 1967 blizzard marked the first time classes had been cancelled in the recent past. Campus closed from Friday to Monday, and resumed on a “restricted basis” Tuesday, asking commuting students not to attend.
“The east Campus and Goldsworth Valley Unions were closed Friday and Saturday, and only the lobby and candy counter of the West Campus Union remained open for business. The snack bar downstairs was closed for good reason, according to D.N. Scott, Director pf Student Center and Residence Halls: “We closed because we’re out of food.” Mr. Scott added that although no residence halls ran out of food, two more days of isolation would have strained supplies badly.”
The Kalamazoo Gazette also reported in 1967 about a WMU fraternity that helped to shelter stranded travelers. From January 28, 1967: “Indeed, the young men of Western Michigan University’s Sigma Chi fraternity did take a leaf from the book of the famed monks of the Alps as they turned their fraternity house into a shelter for stranded motorists.” … “Grimm, a Kalamazoo senior who lives in the fraternity house led a task force of his brothers to the gas station at the interchange. There they found quite a crowd of motorists stopped by the storm with place to stay the night.”
The brothers of Sigma Chi invited those motorists, some who were as far from home as Louisiana and Missouri, to their home and served them a pancake dinner.
On February 1, 1978, a six-day weekend ended (“Wild weather whips Western” by Andy Ruden, news editor). “The four consecutive days off is a new Western record. The previous record of three consecutive days was set during the 1967 blizzard.”
In this blizzard, a state of emergency was declared on Friday afternoon and was not lifted until Monday morning. Kalamazoo residents were stranded, many in their homes, and required assistance (food, medicine, fuel) from both the National Guard and the Red Cross.
Much like the 1967 blizzard, students trapped in the dormitories had plenty to eat. They did not, however, have plenty to do.
Ruden goes on to write, “To ease the boredom of being somewhat restricted to campus, many students made foot treks thorugh the drifts to nearby stores for alcoholic beverages. Some ventured to partake of winter sporting opportunities, including winter football, traying, and jumping out of dorm windows into snow drifts.”
(At least one student was injured after jumping from the sixth floor, but was listed in fair condition at Bronson by the time the article was published.)
Not all students used their time off for fun, however. “I know that hundreds of students, if not more, used the library to study,’ commented University president, John T. Bernhard.”
To view photographs of the 1978 blizzard, published by the Kalamazoo Gazette, click here.
If you have a memory of the Herald you would like to share in celebration of its centennial milestone, please email storyteller@mywmu.com with "Herald 100 Memories" in the subject line.
Past issues of the Western Herald are currently held in the WMU Archives and Regional History Collections in Zhang Legacy Collections Center. Visit wmich.edu/library/collections/archives to learn more. The image above was taken from the 1967 Brown & Gold Yearbook; digitized versions of the yearbooks are available at the archives website.