Bill Ayers

Bill Ayers is an American retired professor and former community organizer.

He was born on December 26, 1944. His father, Thomas G. Ayers, was a high-level executive at Commonwealth Edison. Bill grew up in Glen Ellyn, a suburb near Chicago, Illinois. He attended public schools before moving to Lake Forest Academy. He later earned a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies from the University of Michigan in 1968. His college years were shaped by social activism. In 1965, he attended a teach-in at Ann Arbor regarding the Vietnam War. This event deeply influenced his moral views. He believed that staying silent was the same as being indifferent to injustice.

Ayers began his career in education and activism. He worked at the Children's Community School, a preschool in a church basement. This school was part of the "free school movement." These schools used different methods to encourage cooperation over competition. Students often called their teachers by their first names. Ayers became the director of this school at age 21. During this time, he met Diana Oughton, who became his girlfriend. He also became involved with the Students for a Democratic Society, known as the SDS. He rose to national prominence as a leader within the SDS by 1968. He even led a regional group called the "Jesse James Gang" in Detroit.

In 1969, a split occurred within the SDS. This schism led to the creation of the Weather Underground. Ayers was a co-founder of this militant organization. The group's founding manifesto stated they wanted to create a mass revolutionary movement. They aimed to overthrow the United States government. They viewed the government as practicing American imperialism. The group decided to engage in a violent and illegal struggle. They wanted to organize underground collectives in major cities. They also held a "War Council" in Flint, Michigan, in 1969. This meeting solidified their plan for armed struggle against the state.

The Weather Underground conducted a campaign of bombings during the 1960s and 1970s. They targeted public buildings to protest the Vietnam War. In 1969, Ayers helped plant a bomb at the Haymarket Memorial Statue in Chicago.

This blast broke nearly 100 windows and threw statue pieces onto the Kennedy Expressway. In 1970, a tragic accident occurred in a Greenwich Village townhouse. A device exploded while members were constructing nail bombs. This explosion killed three members: Ted Gold, Terry Robbins, and Diana Oughton. The FBI labeled the Weather Underground a domestic terrorist group due to these actions. Ayers and several others fled to avoid arrest.

Ayers lived as a fugitive for several years. During this period, he married Bernardine Dohrn, another leader in the Weather Underground.

They moved frequently and used different identities. Ayers participated in bombings at the New York City Police Department, the U.S. Capitol, and the Pentagon. He noted that the Pentagon bomb weighed nearly two pounds. It caused tens of thousands of dollars in damage but injured no one. In 1973, Ayers and other members co-authored a book titled "Prairie Fire." This book was dedicated to many figures, including Harriet Tubman and John Brown.

Eventually, the legal situation for Ayers changed. The federal government had been using a program called COINTELPRO. This was a series of covert and often illegal FBI projects. Agents used wiretaps and searches without warrants to track activists. Because of these illegal tactics, government attorneys requested that charges against Ayers be dropped. He was no longer hunted as a fugitive. However, Bernardine Dohrn faced state charges. She eventually turned herself in during 1980 and received probation. The legal controversy surrounding the group's activities remains a significant part of American history.

After his time underground, Ayers transitioned into academia. He became a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He held prestigious titles, including Distinguished Professor of Education. He also became a Senior University Scholar. In 2001, he published his memoir, "Fugitive Days."

In the book, he shared his personal memories of his activism. Some historians have questioned the accuracy of his recollections. Others have praised the book as a moving look at young dreamers. His life connects the radical social movements of the 1960s to the modern academic world. His journey from a militant organizer to a respected professor shows a massive shift in his life's work.