In April of 1975, A. Richard Turner was installed as the ninth President of Grinnell College. An art historian, who studied Renaissance Florence and Leonardo da Vinci (in particular), Turner was eager to set a new tone on campus after the fierce political battles and protests of the late sixties and early seventies, which had pitted students against the administration. In one of his first moves, Turner declared a “skip day”—announcing one April evening that the next day (which was forecast to be a beautiful and warm day) he would cancel all classes and work, providing free food, entertainment, and kegs of beer outside the Forum for students to enjoy—a kind of Midwestern carnival.

“Skip Days” became a beloved tradition during Turner’s presidency, although faculty were less than thrilled about having classes, labs, and tests cancelled without any prior notice (Turner would declare one skip day each Fall and Spring, announcing it the night before). Yet, Turner always pointed out the need for students to have this kind of unexpected break, from the grind and pressure of work. It was also a chance to build community spirit on campus.  When George Drake became president of the college in 1980, the faculty voted to end “skip days,” although SGA tried to carry on the tradition for a few years unofficially. But it faded into memory by the mid-1980s.