But What Would She Say?: Reframing “Domestic Terror” in the 1966 UT Austin Shooting

Abstract

On August 1, 1966, Charles Whitman, a student and former Marine at the University of Texas at Austin, climbed to the top of the landmark campus bell tower and fired his rifle for ninety-six minutes. By the time he was himself shot and killed, he left more than forty people dead and wounded. But the night before he committed his public rampage, Whitman fatally stabbed his wife and mother in the privacy of their bedrooms. Had he “merely” killed either of these family members, we would not remember his name, and his acts would not be classified as terrorism. This article reconsiders canonical documents of the UT shooting in light of newly discovered personal letters composed by Whitman’s wife, Kathy. Close reading of personal texts can help illuminate the gendered nature of public spectacle and make room for understanding as well as recognizing not-always speakable sources of domestic terror.