Douglas Olsen
On December 21, 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 259 passengers on board and 11 people on the ground. Thirty-five Syracuse University students were among those killed. The students were returning home for Christmas after completing a study abroad program. Syracuse University holds an annual memorial week called Remembrance Week to commemorate its 35 lost students. The Remembrance Scholars also hold a series of events honoring the victims during Remembrance Week.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of incident | 21 December 1988 |
| Number of Syracuse University students who died | 35 |
| Total number of deaths | 270 |
| Cause of incident | Terrorist bombing |
| Flight origin and destination | London to New York City |
| Survivors | None |
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What You'll Learn
35 Syracuse University students died on Pan Am Flight 103
On December 21, 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 259 passengers on board and 11 people on the ground. Of the 259 passengers killed, 35 were students from Syracuse University. The students were returning home for the holidays after completing a study abroad program.
The bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 was an international terrorist attack. In 2001, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, a Libyan intelligence officer, was found guilty of 270 counts of murder in connection with the bombing. In 2003, Muammar Gaddafi accepted Libya's responsibility for the attack and paid more than $1 billion in compensation to the victims' families.
The 35 Syracuse University students killed in the attack were participants in the university's Division of International Programs Abroad (renamed Syracuse University Abroad in 2006). They were described by then-Chancellor Melvin Eggers as "some of our best and brightest." To honor the students, Syracuse University created the Remembrance Scholarship, which is awarded to 35 rising seniors each year. The recipients of the scholarship are chosen based on their embodiment of the qualities of the students who were lost, such as being risk-takers, dreamers, planners, and leaders.
In addition to the Remembrance Scholarships, Syracuse University holds a memorial week every year called "Remembrance Week" to commemorate its 35 lost students. During this week, a series of events are held to honor the victims, including projects and public speaking engagements. The university also maintains the Pan Am Flight 103/Lockerbie Air Disaster Archives, which contain various unrestricted university records, newspaper articles, obituaries, memorials, and other items related to the victims.
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The students were returning home for Christmas
On December 21, 1988, a terrorist bomb was detonated on Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 259 passengers on board and 11 people on the ground. The flight was travelling from London to New York City, and among the 259 passengers killed were 35 Syracuse University students who were returning home for Christmas after completing a study abroad program.
The students were enrolled in Syracuse University's Division of International Programs Abroad (renamed Syracuse University Abroad in 2006), and were returning home for the holidays after spending the semester abroad. Ten of these students were from other universities and colleges, including Colgate University and the University of Colorado, which had collaborative relationships with Syracuse. Several of the students were due to connect to Pan Am Express Flight 4919 to Syracuse Hancock International.
The bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 had a devastating impact on the Syracuse University campus, with then-Chancellor Melvin Eggers declaring that "some of our best and brightest" had been lost. To honour the memory of the 35 students who perished, Syracuse University created the Remembrance Scholarship, which is awarded to 35 rising seniors each year. The recipients of the scholarship are known as Remembrance Scholars and are chosen based on their embodiment of the qualities that the victims represented, such as leadership and a willingness to take risks. During Remembrance Week, which typically falls at the end of October, the Remembrance Scholars organize a series of events to honour the victims.
In addition to the Remembrance Scholars, Syracuse University also selects two Lockerbie Scholars each year. These students are from Lockerbie, Scotland, and are given the opportunity to study at Syracuse for a year through the Syracuse-Lockerbie Scholarships, which are funded in part by the university's Lockerbie scholarship program. The selection of Lockerbie Scholars further strengthens the bond between Syracuse University and the town of Lockerbie, as both communities work together to keep the memories of the victims alive.
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The students were killed in a terrorist bombing
On December 21, 1988, a terrorist bomb was detonated on Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 259 passengers on board and 11 more on the ground. Of the 270 people killed, 35 were Syracuse University students. The students were enrolled in the university's Division of International Programs Abroad (renamed Syracuse University Abroad in 2006) and were returning home for the holidays after a semester abroad.
The bombing was carried out by Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, a Libyan intelligence officer. In 2001, al-Megrahi was found guilty of 270 counts of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. His co-accused, Lamin Khalifah Fhimah, was acquitted. In 2003, Muammar Gaddafi accepted Libya's responsibility for the bombing and paid more than $1 billion in compensation to the victims' families. However, Gaddafi maintained that he had never personally given the order for the attack.
The Syracuse University campus was devastated by the loss of its students. Then-Chancellor Melvin Eggers promised that the university would never forget the incident and those who were lost. The university created the Remembrance Scholarship in honour of the 35 students, and every year, 35 rising seniors are selected as Remembrance Scholars to represent the students who died. These scholars work to hold a series of events honouring the victims during Remembrance Week, typically held at the end of October since the anniversary of the bombing occurs during winter break.
The victims of the bombing are also commemorated through memorials and scholarships at other institutions. For example, the University of Rochester has a memorial plaque and garden in its Eastman Quadrangle, and Syracuse University awards tuition fees to two students from Lockerbie Academy each year through its Lockerbie scholarship. These efforts ensure that the memories of those who died in the terrorist bombing are kept alive.
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The university created the Remembrance Scholarship to honour the students
On 21 December 1988, a terrorist bomb was detonated on Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 259 passengers on board and 11 people on the ground. Thirty-five Syracuse University students were among those who lost their lives. The students were returning home for the holidays after a semester abroad.
The tragic event left the Syracuse University campus devastated. Then-Chancellor Melvin Eggers promised that the university would never forget the incident and those who perished. To honour the 35 students, Syracuse University created the Remembrance Scholarship. Every year, 35 rising seniors are selected as Remembrance Scholars to represent the students who were killed. The recipients are leaders and risk-takers, embodying the spirit of those who died.
The Remembrance Scholars work together to organise a series of events honouring the victims during Remembrance Week, typically held at the end of October since the bombing anniversary falls during the winter break. The week includes memorials, projects, and public speaking events to share the stories and dreams of the 35 students. Syracuse University also holds other memorials, such as a memorial plaque and garden, to commemorate its lost students.
In addition to the Remembrance Scholars, Syracuse University selects two Lockerbie Scholars annually. The Lockerbie Scholars are students from Lockerbie, Scotland, who travel to Syracuse for a year of study through the Syracuse-Lockerbie Scholarships, which are funded by the university. This exchange programme fosters a connection between Syracuse and Lockerbie, uniting the communities in remembrance and healing.
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There are memorials at Syracuse University and in Lockerbie, Scotland
On December 21, 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 259 passengers on board and 11 people on the ground. Among those killed were 35 Syracuse University students, who were returning home after a semester abroad in London and Florence.
Memorials at Syracuse University
Syracuse University holds a memorial week every year called "Remembrance Week" to commemorate its 35 students who were killed. Every December 21, a service is held in the university's chapel at 14:03 (19:03 UTC), marking the moment the bomb on board the aircraft was detonated. The university also awards tuition fees to two students from Lockerbie Academy each year, in the form of its Lockerbie scholarship. Additionally, the university awards 35 "Remembrance Scholarships" to seniors to honor each of the 35 students killed. The Remembrance Wall, a semicircular structure that resides behind the Gateway to Campus, includes the names of the 35 Syracuse students who died and serves as a centerpiece on the Syracuse University campus.
Memorials in Lockerbie, Scotland
The main memorial in Lockerbie, Scotland, is at Dryfesdale Cemetery, about one mile (1.5 kilometers) west of Lockerbie. There is a semicircular stone wall in the garden of remembrance with the names and nationalities of all the victims, along with individual funeral stones and memorials. A window in the Low Chamber of Lockerbie Town Hall also commemorates Pan Am Flight 103, which was destroyed over Lockerbie on December 21, 1988. The window displays the flags showing the nationality of the victims.
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Frequently asked questions
35 Syracuse University students were on Pan Am Flight 103.
No. All 259 passengers on board and 11 people on the ground were killed.
The students were returning home for Christmas after a semester abroad.
Syracuse University holds an annual memorial week called "Remembrance Week" to commemorate its 35 lost students. The university also awards 35 Remembrance Scholarships to seniors each year to honour the students who died.
Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed. In 2001, Libyan intelligence officer Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was found guilty of 270 counts of murder in connection with the bombing.
