III 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 418 

To honor Gallaudet University, a premier institution of higher education 

for deaf and hard of hearing people in the United States, on the occasion 

of its 150th anniversary and to recognize the impact of the University 

on higher education. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 8, 2014 

Mr. BROWN (for himself and Mr. ENZI) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 

Pensions 

RESOLUTION 

To honor Gallaudet University, a premier institution of higher education for deaf and hard of hearing people in 

the United States, on the occasion of its 150th anniversary and to recognize the impact of the University on 

higher education. 

Whereas in 1856, philanthropist and former postmaster general Amos Kendall donated land on his estate in northeast Washington, DC, for a place to educate the city’s 

deaf youth, and, 8 years later, President Abraham Lincoln signed a bill authorizing the institution to grant college degrees; 

Whereas theology graduate Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet was 

inspired to dedicate his life to educating deaf people after 


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•SRES 418 IS 

tutoring Alice Cogswell, a 9-year-old deaf neighbor, and 

traveled to France, where he learned a manual communication method of instruction developed by renowned 

French educators Abbe Sicard, Laurent Clerc, and Jean 

Massieu; 

Whereas upon returning to the United States, Gallaudet established the American School for the Deaf, the first permanent school for deaf children in the United States, in 

Hartford, Connecticut; 

Whereas in 1857, Thomas Gallaudet’s youngest son, Edward 

Miner Gallaudet, took up his father’s cause when he and 

his deaf mother, Sophia Fowler Gallaudet, were invited 

by Kendall to run the newly established Columbia Institution for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb and the 

Blind in Washington, DC; 

Whereas with Kendall’s resources and Edward Gallaudet’s 

leadership and vision, the fledgling school grew and flourished, expanding to provide instruction for aspiring 

teachers of the deaf and becoming the world’s first, and 

currently only, institution of higher education devoted to 

deaf and hard of hearing students and to hearing students who wish to pursue careers as professionals serving 

the deaf community; 

Whereas following the 1969 signing of the Model Secondary 

School for the Deaf Act (MSSD) by President Lyndon 

Johnson, Secretary of the United States Department of 

Health, Education, and Welfare Wilbur Cohen and Gallaudet President Leonard Elstad signed an agreement 

authorizing the establishment and operation of the 

MSSD on the Gallaudet campus; 


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•SRES 418 IS 

Whereas in 1970, President Richard Nixon signed a bill to 

authorize the establishment of Kendall Demonstration 

Elementary School (along with MSSD, a component of 

Gallaudet’s Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center), devoted to the creation and dissemination of educational opportunities for deaf students nationwide; 

Whereas by an Act of Congress, Gallaudet was granted university status in October 1986, and in March 1988, the 

Deaf President Now (DPN) movement led to the appointment of the University’s first deaf president, Dr. I. 

King Jordan, and the first deaf chair of the Board of 

Trustees, Philip Bravin; 

Whereas the DPN movement has become synonymous with 

self-determination and empowerment for deaf and hard of 

hearing people everywhere; 

Whereas the new millennium at Gallaudet has brought events 

such as the Deaf Way II festival, the opening of the technology-rich I. King Jordan Student Academic Center, 

and the dedication of the James Lee Sorenson Language 

and Communication Center, a unique facility that provides an inclusive learning environment compatible with 

the visu-centric ‘‘deaf way of being’’; 

Whereas Gallaudet’s undergraduate students can choose from 

more than 40 majors leading to bachelor of arts or bachelor of science degrees, and students can enroll in graduate and certificate programs, leading to master of arts, 

master of science, doctoral, and specialist degrees in a variety of fields involving professional service to deaf and 

hard of hearing people; 

Whereas through the Gallaudet University career center, students receive internships that provide a wealth of experiVerDate Mar 15 2010 23:52 Apr 09, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR418.IS SR418

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ential learning opportunities, including placements in 

local and Federal Government offices; 

Whereas today Gallaudet is viewed by deaf and hearing people alike as a primary resource for all things related to 

deaf and hard of hearing people, including educational 

and career opportunities, open communication and visual 

learning, deaf history and culture, American Sign Language, and technology that impacts the deaf community; 

Whereas Gallaudet student-athletes have consistently gained 

national and international recognition over the years for 

their accomplishments in a variety of sports, while also 

being recognized for their success in the classroom by 

being named All-Academic honorees within their collegiate conferences by posting cumulative grade point averages of 3.20 or higher during the year; 

Whereas Gallaudet’s anniversary goals are to— 

(1) honor its years of academic excellence; 

(2) use this milestone to launch new initiatives, discussions, and partnerships that will lead the University 

forward; 

(3) emphasize that Gallaudet is first and foremost a 

university in which academic discourse plays a central 

role; 

(4) recognize the University’s unique place in deaf 

history; 

(5) acknowledge and celebrate both the continuity 

and the change the campus has seen, including Gallaudet 

University’s progression towards a greater diversity of 

people and ideas; 

(6) demonstrate Gallaudet’s impact on the world and 

underscore the University’s leadership role on the local, 

national, and international level; and 


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(7) highlight the continuous support of Gallaudet’s 

alumni and collaborations with the Gallaudet University 

Alumni Association; and 

Whereas Gallaudet’s 150th year theme is ‘‘Gallaudet University: Celebrating 150 Years of Visionary Leadership’’, 

and this theme will guide decisions on all activities 

planned in recognition of Gallaudet University’s sesquicentennial: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate honors Gallaudet University on the occasion of its 150th 2 anniversary and recognizes 

3 its contributions to higher education in the United States 

4 and around the world. 

Æ 


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