Paul Beach oral history interview

Paul W. Beach, Jr., class of 1967. Oral history interview with Paul Beach about his experience as an anti-war activist and conscientious objector during the Vietnam War era. Beach describes his early life growing up in Philadelphia and Hatboro, Pennsylvania, where he developed an interest in math and science. He learned about Dartmouth through television coverage of Winter Carnival and was impressed with the emphasis on math under President John G. Kemeny, a math professor. Arriving at Dartmouth in the fall of 1963, Beach quickly became involved in activism, joining the Dartmouth Christian Union (DCU) which he describes as a hub of social justice activism on campus. Beach was initially involved in anti-segregation and civil rights activism by protesting Gov. George Wallace’s campus visit in 1963, joining a task force to increase the recruitment of Black Dartmouth students, and leafleting and raising money for causes like the Mississippi Freedom Summer. Beach describes how his critical view of the Vietnam War developed as U.S. military involvement increased over the course of his time at Dartmouth, leading him to embrace radical politics and focus on anti-war activism. After graduating in 1967, Beach stayed in the Hanover area and remained involved in the local chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) while engaging in activism. He was arrested at a large demonstration at the Pentagon in October 1967, along with Noam Chomsky and Allen Ginsburg. In 1969, Beach was indicted for refusing to appear for induction in the military. He also participated in the takeover of Parkhurst Hall as an alumnus and was sentenced to 30 days in jail. He pled no contest and was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison, initially in maximum security, then minimum security for 20 months. He was released in 1971. Beach describes his struggle to find his way with a felony conviction on his record. He ultimately graduated from Temple University Medical School in 1980 and went on to become a doctor serving underserved populations in Haiti and in inner-city clinics in Philadelphia and New York City.