A rhetoric of encounter following the May 4th, 1970, disturbances at Kent state university

A content analysis was made of three rhetorical sources at Kent State University during the Fall Quarter immediately following the May, 1970, disturbances there. A Chi‐square analysis showed significant differences in the frequencies of the nine themes of encounter by the three sources, although analysis by Pearson's correlation showed sources generally agreed on the relative rhetorical importance of each theme. Implications include the use of the themes of a “rhetoric of encounter” as a system of topoi for rhetorical invention in future similar rhetorical situations.