Project Editor: J.V. Dorsey, UCARE, 2008

Dean Gustavson and the Greek Riot of 1952

Late one night in the spring of 1952, a water fight broke out when the Phi Kappa Psis threw water at the Alpha Omicron Pis and the Kappa Alpha Thetas. The members of the houses began a good natured fight and crowds of other Nebraska students (and some high school students) got involved in the melee. The water fight quickly turned into a mob scene. Thirteen sorority houses and a dorm were broken into, each estimating over $500 in damages and stolen property. The Women's dorm was stormed twice and some people were physically hurt. The riot caused a sensation throughout the state and made newspapers nationwide. Dean Gustavson was swamped with mail and phone calls from concerned citizens in what turned out to be a PR nightmare for the University. He took swift action with any and all perpetrators and the event came to be a defining moment in his tenure as Dean.