In June 1958, a group of about 750 men took a break from studying at Northern Illinois University to attempt a panty raid at Williston and Adams dormitories. One of these students was unlucky enough to be caught by university President Leslie Holmes.

The panty raid era was in full swing by 1958, not only at NIU, but at colleges across the country. It was a regular part of university life for large groups of male students to gather outside of women’s dorms to shout for underwear.

“A wave of ‘panty raids’ swept 10 college campuses last night as the latest college craze rose to fever pitch,” a national report printed May 20, 1952, in the Daily Chronicle said. “Tear gas was required to dampen fervor of the mobs of male students at two schools. Several arrests were made and a few injuries were reported. At Columbia, Mo., scene of a triple lingerie riot, a company of national guardsmen was called out when local police found themselves unable to cope with the students.”

The first raid in DeKalb was reported in the Daily Chronicle eight days later under the headline “ ‘Panty Raid’ at the College is a Quiet Event.”

“What was thought to be a ‘panty raid’ at Adams Hall and Williston Hall on the campus of Northern Illinois State Teachers College Tuesday night ended in nothing more than a ‘serenade,’ ” the Chronicle reported. “For the past few weeks, a series of ‘panty raids’ have occurred at colleges and universities throughout the country, some of the raids resulting in considerable destruction. Shortly before 11 p.m. Tuesday, city and state police were summoned to the campus of the DeKalb school when it appeared as though a ‘raid’ on the dormitories was in the offing. The affair was very orderly, no damage was caused, and nothing more than a bit of serenading resulted.”

Not all of the raids at NIU were so mild.

Take this report from Oct. 4, 1971: “Student horseplay got out of hand Thursday night at Northern Illinois University when one girl was attacked by a group of NIU males on a ‘panty raid,’ “ the Chronicle reported. “Another male student received nine stitches in his leg as a result of the disturbances. At about 11 p.m. Thursday 200 girls from Gilbert and Neptune halls arrived on west campus shouting ‘we want jocks.’ Male residents in the west campus dormitories flowed out into the street and at about midnight began spraying shaving cream and throwing cans of water.”

The girl “was mobbed by 10 students who ripped her clothes off. Later an NIU football player escorted her to her room and to the NIU Health Center where she was treated for a dislocated toe, several bruises and given a sedative.” The male student cut his leg after being shoved into a bike rack, the newspaper reported.

A headline from the front page of the Chronicle in April 1967 gives an idea of how common this practice was: “Spring Has Arrived; Panty Raid Thursday.” The report noted that “the men stood outside women’s dorms, chanting ‘we want panties.’ The requests were complied with in all dormitory areas, police said.”

The article also included this detail: “A 20-year-old freshman transfer student was charged with disorderly conduct after he was caught on the roof of the two-story Grant central unit with a woman’s undergarment in his possession.”

Back to Leslie Holmes and those raids in 1958.

“A group of college boys with their sights on Williston and Adams dormitories at Northern Illinois University Wednesday evening were foiled by university officials, city, state and county police,” according to the Daily Chronicle article.

“One 22-year-old student, John Peschke, 3171/2 S. 11th Street, was arrested on a disorderly conduct charge after he had been apprehended by Dr. Leslie Holmes, president of Northern,” the Chronicle reported. “According to the police arrest report, Peschke threw a firecracker in the direction of Ernest Hanson, Dean of Students at Northern, but was caught by President Holmes. When Peschke saw police officers Wilbur Scott and Charles Luoma approaching he attempted to flee, but was brought down with a tackle by Officer Scott.”

During a raid the next night, four students were arrested, the newspaper reported.

The five students were later found not guilty in court or had the charges against them dismissed. They were expelled anyway, the Chronicle reported June 11, 1958.

Panty raids continued at NIU through the 1970s before the practice died out.