By Matt Ern and Rovina Grant, Staff Reporters
On March 23, 1943 a P-47 Thunderbolt that took off from Mitchell Air Force base crashed on the Hofstra campus. The plane crashed into Barnard Hall causing substantial damage to the building. The hall was then repaired and rebuilt at a later date.
Mitchell Air Force was located in Garden City, New York nearby Hofstra University. The base had a long, rich history and was used as a military establishment dating back as far as the Revolutionary War and continued functioning until it was closed down in 1964 as a result of public outcry over its numerous crashes.
Exterior view of the side of Barnard Hall after a P-47 Thunderbolt crashed into it. (Photo source Hofstra University Archives)