Shortly after 9 A.M. on May 22, 1970, a bomb placed in a basement jail window well of the Ames City Hall (then located at 420 Kellogg), exploded ripping through the south side of the building and damaging at least a dozen Ames businesses within 1 ½ square block radius. Tremors from the explosion could be felt at least six blocks away. The explosion also tore bars loose from the basement jail, mangled two nearby cars and shattered nearly 200 windows in the Sheldon-Munn Hotel.
Police Capt. Eldin Hand received cuts to his back and face from the blast. Here, he is being helped by off-duty fireman, James Hoffman.
The blast injured nine people, two seriously and three of whom were hospitalized over the weekend.
Chuck Elliot (center) is being helped down the stairs after recieving a serious injury to his face. Elliot lost his eye from the explosion.
After successfully repairing the damage to the building, the city continued to use the Kellogg site until it moved to the current City Hall on Clark Street in 1990.
No one was ever charged with the crime, however, in 1983 the FBI released documents that showed a possible connection to several bombings at that same time in Des Moines. A possible suspect associated with the Black Panthers was killed in an explosion on September 6, 1970. The bombings ceased after his death.
Gov. Robert Ray (left) took a helicopter to Ames after he heard about the explosion. He is meeting with Mayor Stuart Smith (back to camera), Municipal Judge John McKinney (2nd from right) and Joseph Coupal , Director of Highways (right). A month before Judge McKinney was overseeing a case over a fight at the Red Ram bar between a white and African-American man. Groups like the Black Panthers thought the African-American man was treated unfairly. A few weeks before the City Hall Bombing a homemade bomb was also found in Judge McKinney's garage.
UNIVERSITY OFFICIALS OFFER AID TO CITY
Wayne Moore, vice president for business and finance, yesterday morning contacted city officials to offer any University aid which might be needed by the city following the bombing of city hall. Facilities at the University hospital, use of vehicles, communications systems and other services were offered to the city, Moore said. Also, maintenance and security personnel were made available to aid with construction and clean-up and help the city police.
Moore said city officials did not ask for “any significant assistance” from the University. “The number of injuries was small so that it did not overcrowd the facilities at Mary Greeley, and the University hospital did not need to be used,” Moore said.
A highway patrol communications system unit arrived at city hall about 11:30 a.m. to aid police and other city officials, so University radios and telephones were not used. Pres. Robert Parks had left at 8 a.m. yesterday for a day-long meeting in Omaha, but cut his visit short by about two hours to return to Ames. Parks was notified of the bombing incident when his plane touched down at the Omaha airport. After returning to Ames Parks contacted local officials to find out what had happened and what assistance the University could offer.
In other developments following the bombing incident, Campus Security Chief Fred Tonne declined to comment on what type of additional security measures the campus police might employ. He refused to say if additional personnel had been requested from the Ames police or the Iowa Highway Patrol. “We’re not putting out any information whatsoever on this,” Tonne said yesterday afternoon. “We don’t need any publicity on this at all.”
BROADCAST, NO PEACE RALLY
Ames Daily Tribune, May 23, 1970
An open forum on "current community problems" will be held on radio station KASI-AM and FM, beginning 2 p.m. Sunday. Fielding the questions and comments telephoned in by listeners will be a panel composed of Mayor Stuart Smith; City Manager J. R. Castner; Carl Hamilton, ISU vice-president for information and development; Wayne Moore, ISU vice-president for business and finance; Wilbur Layton, vice president for student affairs, and Joseph R. Coupal Jr., Iowa director of highways.
A planned peace rally, originally scheduled for Sunday afternoon has been called off, acording to Layton. "The students involved felt it best at this time to cancel the event," Layton said.
"No rock festival had been approved at Iowa State this weekend, and none will be held," Layton said, referring to an event proposed by some students. It was to be attended by college and high school students for Ames and other Areas.