Los Angeles herald., 1891-03-01
A DEAF MUTE COLLEGE.
DEGREES CONFERRED ON STUDENTS
WHO CANNOT HEAR.

of the Deaf and Dumb-The Curriculum
of the National College at Washington.
Some of the, Work Done.
Very little is known about the ancient
treatment of the deaf, but Aristotle is
credited with saying somewhere in his
musty works that the deaf are wholly
incapable of receiving intellectual in
struction. History tells us, however,
that deafness was sometimes deemed
visitation Of divine wrath, and that the
poor victim was frequently destroyed to
save the family honor, OF was classed
with the idiotic or insane and treated as
an outcast. This opinion must have
prevailed many centuries, for it was
within the last 150 years that it was dis
covered that the deaf were capable of
receiving intellectual instruction.
A college for deaf mutes was founded
IN the city Of Washington about twenty
six years ago to combat the popular
prejudice. The college grew and thrived
Few people know anything about the
National Deaf Mute college, or the Co
lumbian Institution for the Deaf and
Dumb, as it is known officially, at Ken
dali Green, Washington. A man who,
had he lived 1 1000 years ago, might have
been roasted because he could neither
hear nor speak today studies moral phi
losophy, the calculus land ancient and,
modern languages, and graduates from
college with degree.
THE COLLEGE.
The Columbia institution was incor-
porated in 1857, and has since then been
sustained by congress as an institution
where deaf mute children living in the
District of Columbia and children of
education. Ample provision is also made
for deaf mutes from the states and ter
ritories, who have not the means of de-
fraying the expenses of tuition, which
amount to $3.50 year. The institution
continued for seven years as an ordinary
high school, but in 1864 it was decided
to organize collegiate department., and
congress passed an act authorizing the
institution to confer collegiate degrees.
The institution was then divided into
two departments, the school and Hthe
National Deaf Mute college. In one Of
his annual reports DR.. Edward M. Gal
laudet, the president of the college, says
"The object Of the directors in festab-
fishing school Of this grade, thus tax
ing step unprecedented in the history
of deaf mute instruction, was in part to
prove what had been doubted by some,
that persons deprived Of hearing and
speech could, in spite of their disability,
engage successfully in the advanced
studies pursued in colleges for the hear
ing. The more important end in view,
however, was to afford to class of per-
sons in the community, already numer-
GUS and increasing steadily with the
population, an opportunity to secure the
advantages of rigid and thorough
course of intellectual training in the
higher walks of literature and the lib
eral arts"
The best evidence of the success of the
movement can be found in this para
graph from, the annual report of 1887,
: wfri~,s- talls- -sulaat- pnrsuits some of the
graduates followed:
WHERE THE GRADUATES GO.
FIFTY who have gone out from the
college have been engaged in teaching,
one has entered the ministry, three have
become editors and publishers of news
papers, three Others have taken positions
connected with journalism, ten have en-
tered the civil service of the govern
ment, one while filling position as in
structor in a western institution has
rendered important service to the coast
survey as microscopist, two have be-
come accomplished draughtsmen in arch
itects' offices, one has been repeatedly
elected recorder of deeds in southern
city, and two others are recorders clerks
in the west
"Another has been elected city treas
urer and is at present cashier of ma
tional bank, one has become eminent as
a practical chemist and assayer, two
have taken places in the faculty of their
alma mater and are rendering valuable
service as instructors, some have gone
into mercantile and other offices, some
have undertaken business on their own
account, while not few have chosen
agricultural and mechanical pursuits in
which the advantages Of thorough men,
tai training will give them superiority
over those not so well educated"
Congress has been liberal with the
institution. In 1881 fine gymnasium
was completed, which cost $4,000
Most of the students in the college are
graduates of the lower department of
the institution, but not few received
their early education in separate local
schools. The entire curriculum, includ-
ing an Introductory year, embraces &
period of five years. Candidates for ad-
mission to the Introductory class are ex-
amined in these subjects: The com
mand of English as shown in oral or
finger-spelled conversation; in rendering
at sight paragraphs selected from school
books and from newspapers; in extern
poraneous English composition; arith-
metic; history of the United States;
history of England to the beginning Of
the reign of Henry VII; political
geography; physical geography, and ele
ments of natural philosophy.
The curriculum of the college is about
the same as that Of any other college 1t
includes mathematics, English, Latin,
Greek. history, zoology, botany, chem
istry, physics, physiology, French,
German, logic, mental and moral
science and political philosophy. The
degrees which the college has conferred