LeRoy Martin Satrom (February 4, 1919 – September 8, 2004) was an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, p ...
politician and engineer in
Portage County, Ohio
Portage County is a county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 161,791. Located in Northeast Ohio, Portage County is part of the Akron Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Cleveland–A ...
. He served as county engineer, city engineer, city councilman, and mayor. Satrom is most remembered for his 1970–1972 tenure as mayor of
Kent, Ohio
Kent is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the largest city in Portage County, Ohio, Portage County. It is located along the Cuyahoga River in Northeast Ohio on the western edge of the county. The population was 28,215 at the 2020 United States ...
, specifically for his request for National Guard assistance in the events leading up to the May 4, 1970
Kent State shootings
The Kent State shootings (also known as the Kent State massacre or May 4 massacre"These would be the first of many probes into what soon became known as the Kent State Massacre. Like the Boston Massacre almost exactly two hundred years before (Ma ...
, where four students were killed and nine wounded. He later served four terms as Portage County engineer, and retired in 1988.
Early life and career
Satrom was born in
Galesburg, North Dakota
Galesburg is a city in Traill County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 118 at the 2020 census. Galesburg was founded in 1882.
Galesburg is the home to the world's fifth tallest currently standing structure, the KRDK-TV mast, w ...
. After graduating from high school he worked on the third lock project for the
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal () is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. It cuts across the narrowest point of the Isthmus of Panama, and is a Channel (geography), conduit for maritime trade between th ...
before he joined the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
in 1943 and served in Europe during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. At the conclusion of his military service in 1946, he attended Case Institute of Technology in
Cleveland
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...
(now
Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) is a Private university, private research university in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It was established in 1967 by a merger between Western Reserve University and the Case Institute of Technology. Case ...
), and graduated in 1947.
He first served in
Portage County, Ohio
Portage County is a county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 161,791. Located in Northeast Ohio, Portage County is part of the Akron Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Cleveland–A ...
, government in 1947 as deputy engineer, a position he held until 1952, and moved to Portage County in 1951. Satrom was first elected to Kent City Council in 1963 after having also served as city engineer for Kent and neighboring
Ravenna
Ravenna ( ; , also ; ) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire during the 5th century until its Fall of Rome, collapse in 476, after which ...
.
Mayor
Satrom, a
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY)
**Democratic Part ...
, was elected in 1969 as the first full-time mayor of Kent, taking office in early 1970. Five months later, after a night of rioting in the downtown area of Kent on May 1–2, 1970, he called Ohio Governor
James A. Rhodes
James Allen Rhodes (September 13, 1909 – March 4, 2001) was an American attorney and Republican politician who served as the 61st and 63rd Governor of Ohio from 1963 to 1971 and from 1975 to 1983. Rhodes was one of only seven U.S. governors ...
and requested that the
National Guard
National guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards.
...
be sent to the campus of
Kent State University
Kent State University (KSU) is a Public university, public research university in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university includes seven regional campuses in Northeast Ohio located in Kent State University at Ashtabula, Ashtabula, Kent State ...
to deal with the unrest, which was mainly in response to April 29, 1970, announcement of the United States'
invasion of Cambodia in the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
. The Guard was deployed to the campus on May 3 and the city was placed under
martial law
Martial law is the replacement of civilian government by military rule and the suspension of civilian legal processes for military powers. Martial law can continue for a specified amount of time, or indefinitely, and standard civil liberties ...
that evening. On May 4, while breaking up a mid-day protest on the campus, the Guardsmen shot into the crowd, killing four students and wounding nine others. The university was closed immediately and the city of Kent was placed under a 5:00 PM curfew with all entrances to the city blocked off.
Satrom seldom appeared at events that placed significance on his role in the Kent State shootings. He stated, however, that he never regretted calling the Guard into Kent, but was "shocked and saddened" by the events that transpired at Kent State. He said in 1990: "It was a very trying time. No one wanted to see people killed. We didn't expect that at all. We wanted them (the Guard) to keep the peace."
[
During his tenure as Mayor of Kent, he also oversaw the transition of the Kent Fire Department from a volunteer force to a full-time force. He was also part of several infrastructure improvements made in Kent during the 1970s, including construction of what became Haymaker Parkway, completed in 1975. He was elected Portage County engineer in 1972 and began his term there in 1973.][
]
Later career
Satrom subsequently served four terms as Portage County engineer (1973-1988) and remained active in the county political party. In 2004, he donated his papers to Kent State University
Kent State University (KSU) is a Public university, public research university in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university includes seven regional campuses in Northeast Ohio located in Kent State University at Ashtabula, Ashtabula, Kent State ...
, which has since put much of the material online.[ Satrom died September 8, 2004, in ]Ravenna, Ohio
Ravenna is a city in Portage County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. The population was 11,323 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is located east of Akron, Ohio, Akron. Formed from portions of Ravenna Township, Portage Co ...
at the age of 85.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Satrom, Leroy
1919 births
2004 deaths
United States Army personnel of World War II
Case Western Reserve University alumni
Mayors of places in Ohio
Military personnel from North Dakota
Ohio Democrats
Ohio city council members
People from Kent, Ohio
People from Traill County, North Dakota
United States Army soldiers
20th-century Ohio politicians