The U.S. Census Bureau is proud of its history employing people 

with handicaps and disabilities. Prior to the establishment of a 

permanent Census Bureau in 1902, many disabled war veterans 

received appointments as assistant marshals, census 

superintendents, supervisors, and enumerators. As the census 

became more complex in the late 19th century, a larger office force 

became necessary to compute and compile census reports. This 

led to more openings for people with disabilities that did not inhibit

office work. Eventually, the Census Bureau fell under several 

mandates, such as the 1947 Executive Order 9644, which facilitated 

the hiring of disabled veterans, well before the national 

implementation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 

and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. 

Roy James Stewart was born on January 6, 1878, in Centreville, Michigan. At age 9, Roy lost his 

hearing in an accident involving a runaway wagon. A 

few years later, the family moved to Washington, DC 

when his father accepted a job with the U.S. Post 

Office. In the District of Columbia, Roy attended the 

Kendall School, a high school for deaf students 

affiliated with Gallaudet University. Following high 

school Roy attended Gallaudet University, where he 

participated in multiple sports within the athletics 

department and graduated in 1899.

In 1900, Roy began working at the Census Office 

(after 1902, the U.S. Census Bureau). At first, Roy worked in the tabulation department, where his 

deafness actually helped him avoid the intense and 

aggravating sounds the machines caused. Roy’s timing was 

also fortuitous—in 1900, Census Director William R. Merriam

decided to revolutionize the counting of disabled people by 

appointing a special agent who understood the community, 

Alexander Graham Bell. Bell, who also had ties to Gallaudet

University, quickly recruited Roy to his team. This was not 

Bell’s first involvement with the census—he had sent 

recommendations for the disability schedule for the 1890 

Census—but under his supervision the 1900 Census would 

make the most accurate count of disabled Americans.

 

Deaf Community Leader, 50-year Federal Employee

Roy graduated from

Gallaudet University in 1899

Roy’s 1930 Census

Roy as a student, c. 1899

Gallaudet.edu (accessed 16 August 2017)
In addition to more precise statistics, such as the level of 

blindness, deafness, and speech impediments, and the age at

and cause of the disability, one of the most important changes 

to the survey focused on the manner in which enumerators 

asked the questions. Based on personal experience, Bell knew 

that people had sensitivities to the disabilities of their loved 

ones, and would more readily answer properly phrased 

questions. In particular, enumerators needed to differentiate 

those with hearing, speaking, or sight impairment from those 

with mental or physical disabilities. Following the completion 

of the final report in 1906, Roy moved to vital statistics, where 

he continued to work with tabulating machinery. 

Working at Census Bureau headquarters allowed Roy to

remain active at his alma mater and its alumni association. 

Roy became known as Gallaudet University’s number one 

sports fan, so much so that he is in the Gallaudet Athletic Hall 

of Fame as a noted supporter. In his later years, Roy had the 

distinction of being the alumni supporter from the oldest class. 

In addition to his activities in support of the athletics department, Roy also served as the alumni 

editor to Gallaudet University’s student publication The Buff 

and Blue for over 30 years. Additionally, in 1914, Roy served 

as chair of the Motion Picture Committee for the National 

Association of the Deaf, a group which worked to preserve 

Gallaudet University’s archive of sign language-based films 

from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Roy signed up for the draft during World War I and World 

War II, but was turned down due to his deafness. 

Determined to still do his part, Roy helped organize a 

committee to buy and outfit an ambulance to send to France 

during WWI. During WWII, Roy’s multiple Victory Gardens 

(the backyard gardens grown to help supply additional food 

on the homefront while most mass produced food went to 

the troops) won awards for the amount and quality of their 

produce.

In 1943, the Budget Bureau recommended separating the 

Division of Vital Statistics from the Census Bureau, and in 

1946, this plan came into fruition when the U.S. Public Health 

Service formed the National Office of Vital Statistics. After 

more than 45 years at the Census Bureau, Roy moved to this 

new office until his retirement in 1950. Just after his 89th

birthday, Roy passed away on March 19, 1967, at his longtime 

home in Washington, DC. Roy and his wife, Ellen Pearson, who 

graduated from Gallaudet University in 1917 and taught at the 

Kendall School for over 35 years, did not have any children, yet 

they greatly influenced the lives of others. Their niece, Ann 

Tennis, established an endowment fund in their name at 

Gallaudet University in honor of their lifetime of dedication and 

service. 

The Census Bureau is thankful for Roy’s many years of service 

to both our agency and the American people.

The Washington Evening Star (Washington, D.C.) 

31 August 1950

Roy, c. 1950

The Washington Post (Washington, DC) 

31 March 1967

Roy at his niece’s graduation—Gallaudet

University , 1943

Gallaudet.edu (accessed 16 August 2017)

HB-17-0022