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University of South Florida Hit by Nazi Slogans, Swastikas

May 29, 1981
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The University of South Florida’s campus was vandalized by anti-Semitic slogans and swastikas recently, it was reported by the Jewish Floridian. The incident, earlier this month, was the first in more than a year.

According to the Jewish Floridian, the swastikas and Nazi slogans were found chalked on a blackboard and on the back of chairs in the Business School’s auditorium. USF Police Chief believes that the latest incident was “minor” and unrelated to the 40 anti-Semitic incidents which occured on the campus and at the homes of USF professors between 1977 and last year.

Joseph Busta, the university’s vice president for public affairs, had decided just a few days before the latest incident to vacate a reward fund established in 1979 to attract tips on who the anti-Semitic vandals might be, the Jewish Floridian reported. He said he has now decided to abandon his proposal to return the more than $4,000 in the reward fund.

In addition to the swastikas, the slogans included, “Sons of Hitler,” and the last names of several famous Nazi leaders — Rudolf Hess, Heinrich Himmler and Hermann Goering. The “Sons of Hitler” slogan was used by an anonymous caller when he made death threats to several university professors in 1979.

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