Biography

Lawrence Mark Libow was born on May 23, 1949. Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, Libow graduated from James Madison High School in June 1967. He was a graduate of Springfield College, Class of 1971, coming to Springfield College in the fall of 1967 as a Physical Education major. After receiving Advanced Standing in Physical Education, he would change his major to Community Leadership and Development, graduating with a B.S. in August 1971.

Growing out of his frustration with the disconnection between the College administration and what Libow felt was the spirit of Springfield College’s Humanics philosophy, Libow started to work to make changes within the school. He was a member of the Student Council, representing Alumni Hall, but becoming frustrated with what it could accomplish, Libow, with other students, formed a club called the Resistance Unity, and Brotherhood. The manual titled “Liberator” was created by this group. The group demanded that the administration share information, open meetings including board meetings, and pointed out flaws and inconsistencies within the school’s administration and policies. He also wrote a newspaper column called “On The Left” and was a photographer for the Springfield College student newspaper, The Student. In the winter of 1970, he was dismissed from school after he published different writings or graffiti he found on school desks throughout the college. The administration said that his article contained “rude” and “offensive” materials. The case against his dismissal was picked up by Americans with Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Due to this support and support from inside and outside of Springfield College, Libow was reinstated. Libow was also part of a group of white students who took over the Administration Building in April 1970. The takeover was in support of the black students who took over Massasoit Hall and was designed to get the administration to listen to the black student demands and to protest the punishments leveled against them. Libow and the other students were thrown into jail, but the entire student body voted to use Student Activity Funds to bail them out. Ultimately Libow and the students who took over the Administration Building were reinstated to Springfield College.

After graduation Libow stayed in Springfield, Massachusetts, eventually becoming the head track coach for Commerce High School.

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