A source of many original resources and in-depth information about the Berkeley Free Speech Movement at the University of California, Berkeley, Michael Rossman was a close associate of mine for a decade before he died. He shared many resources that gave in-depth understanding of the Berkeley Free Speech Movement, which I was well aware of, having written about it for the University of Michigan’s student newspaper the Michigan Daily when I was only a freshman.
Michael (1939-2008) had many interests during his life. He was a member of the steering committee of the Berkeley Free Speech Movement, as well as a major force in the effort to maintain archives and organize and present programs about the movement on its anniversaries (October, 1984, ’94,’04); he established an extensive collection of posters of anti-war, political, and women’s posters from 1965 to the present which are now housed at the Oakland Museum; and he wrote about cultural trends, authoring several popular paperbooks in the 1960s-70s; he also wrote and advocated for enlightened educational methods.
He translated original poetry of the Spanish Civil War and wrote his own form of the Tao Te Ching. For many years he was a science teacher for young students. He has lived a rich life that brings facts and perspective to my inquiries.
He was a close associate of Mario Savio who gained considerable notoriety, which he did not seek and which caused him much anguish. He was a true idealist, you see. To access his website which contains his writings click Michael Rossman.