The Wisconsin Draft Resistance Union (WDRU) began in the autumn of 1966 in the discussions of a group of University of Wisconsin students who were dissatisfied at the inability of demonstrations to bring an end to U.S. involvement in the war in Vietnam. The students drafted a statement indicating their refusal to serve in the armed forces which they published in the Daily Cardinal on February 23, 1967. The same day they called a mass meeting to announce the formation of the Wisconsin Draft Resistance Union.
Although membership was limited to individuals willing to affirm the original statement, WDRU grew rapidly, eventually becoming a statewide organization. As WDRU developed, strategy and tactics underwent many changes. The original focus was upon activities to immobilize the Selective Service system, but under the influence of SDS, WDRU's opposition to the war became a broader social criticism and its goals became as much political as they were pacifist. Activities of the union included extensive draft counseling, research on draft laws and the composition of the Madison draft board, leafletting and demonstrations at induction centers, organizing among university and high school students, and various community service projects. WDRU also served as the national Draft Resistance Clearinghouse, which provided information for similar groups around the country.
