HISTORY This Week The Grinnell 14 Take On the Bomb (feat. Peter Coyote)
Nov 10, 2025
Peter Coyote, an actor and activist, recounts his pivotal role in the Grinnell 14 protest against nuclear testing in 1961. He shares the urgency that drove college students to act amidst Cold War fears and how they aligned with civil rights movements for their cause. The intense fasting protest led them to the White House, where they faced skepticism and mockery. Despite the challenges, their activism sparked a nationwide student movement, leaving a mixed legacy of cultural change and partial success in the peace efforts.
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Road Trip Protest To The White House
- Fourteen Grinnell College students drove nearly a thousand miles to protest nuclear testing at the White House in November 1961.
- They arrived fasted, dressed conservatively, and carried signs supporting Kennedy's "peace race."
Atomic Age Anxiety Shaped Activism
- Growing up in the atomic age produced pervasive anxiety about random annihilation and fallout.
- That fear made nuclear testing a generational political and moral focus for students like Peter Coyote.
From Political Home To Grinnell Counterculture
- Peter Coyote arrived at Grinnell from a politically active family and found a progressive campus culture.
- He joined a countercultural crowd that mixed arts, folk music, and activism into daily life.