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Show Me The State: Barbara Papish

Courtesy of Sandy Davidson
The February 1969 edition of the Free Press Underground featured a controversial cartoon on its cover. MU Student Barbara Papish was arrested and expelled for passing it out on campus.

In 1969, graduate student Barbara Papish hands out an underground newspaper on the University of Missouri Columbia campus. The Free Press Underground issue features a cartoon on the cover depicting police officers raping the Statue of Liberty and Lady Justice. The words “With Liberty and Justice For All” encircle the image.

University of Missouri leaders felt Barbara Papish was not adhering to generally accepted standards of student conduct when she was arrested for passing out the February 1969 issue of the Free Press Underground with a controversial cartoon on the cover.
Credit Courtesy of Sandy Davidson.
University of Missouri leaders felt Barbara Papish was not adhering to generally accepted standards of student conduct when she was arrested for passing out the February 1969 issue of the Free Press Underground featuring a controversial cartoon on the cover.

University of Missouri leaders are not happy about the controversial image. Barbara is arrested and quickly expelled for not following “generally accepted standards of conduct” by students.  

That’s not the last they hear from her, though. Barbara fights back for her free speech rights on campus and ends up challenging the university all the way up to the Supreme Court. The repercussions set a precedent still followed today. 

*Editorial note: Paul Wallace who is featured in this episode died before publication. 

Kristofor left KBIA in fall of 2021
Zia Kelly graduated with degrees in journalism and public health at the University of Missouri - Columbia in May 2020.. Outside of the newsroom, she works part-time as a personal trainer and competes as an Olympic-style weightlifter.
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