Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-29
Reason for the College.

Reason for the College.
The late Amos Kendall. the founder of
the institution, in a public address. com
menorating the tenth anniversary of its
existence, said
I'm May of that year 1sJ7D the n"9rd of
directors were fortunate as to s'cure
the services of f. NJ. Gallaudet. under
whose energetic and prudent management.
first as Superintendent, and then as prcSl-
don't the institution apidly advanced to the
front rank of similar Institutions, not only
in our own country, but throughout the
world. At his instance an act OF congress
was passed in April. 1864. authorizing the
institut ON to confer degrees and issue
diplom IS. The time seemed now to have
arrived for carrying into effect project
vaguely entertained from the origin OF the
institution The state institutions taught
very little else than those branches of
knowledge taught In the common schools.
The deaf and dumb i'll the various states,
DESTROYS of attaining. or able to attain. to
a higher degree of culture, We're not numer-
Gus enough to justify the maintenance OF a
college in each state for their instruction,
but il was believed that there were enough
of that class in all the states to sustain
such institution. And where could that
be 50 appropriately located as at the seat
of general government? Influenced by these
considerations, and in the hele1 that there
were enough of deaf muteS partially edu-
Gated who painted for higher attachments,
and would find means to pay for them, the
directors, in the summer of 1861. organ
lied a new department in their institution
denominlted the National Dear Mute ,ol-
lege'
The confidence of the directors and the
action of Congress has been JuStliled by
the usefulness of the institution. Nearly
| 800 deaf and dumb young men and wom-
en- who by their infirmities, have been de
barred from ordinary educational privileges
have had advantage OF its benehts,o46 In
the Kendall School and SO in Gallaudet
College The institution opened in 1891
with seventeen pupils. In 1860 1t had thirty,
in 1856, 1t had ffty-two, 1l9 in 1867, lob in
1877, 1s4 In 1897. and 2io in 1901
What the Graduates Have Become.
The graduates have gone out to all the
world The larger number Of them are
efficient teachers in other institutions, sew
eral being principals of state schools for
the deaf and more than a few have been
founders of such schools. 1t would take
a large space to enumerate the various
occupations In which they have been sue
cessful such architects and builders,
editors and publishers, chemists and assay
ers. surveyors and civil engineers. postmas-
ters bankers, recorders of deeds, patent
LAWYERS, state botanists. fruit farmers
general farmers on large scale. artists
engravers. photographers. photographers,
librarians. clerks in the various depart
ments Of the government, in custom houses
most Offices in the Smithsonian Institution
in railroad offices and insurance companies:
and several are now regularly ordained
clergymen conducting missions and church.
es for the deaf in cities and large towns
And their success in life has been doubt
less largely due to the knowledge and moral
training they have gained al Gallaudet Col
lege. Quoting again from Amos Kendall's
report 1T is our function TO teach, improve
and enlarge the sign language; to make it
coexteusige with the language of sound
and through its instrumentality to open the
minds of deaf mutes to the wonders of Gre
alton and the secrets of science and art
This will have been effected when every
material word in the written language shall
have it's corresponding sign communicating
the same idea. Then. while the English
deaf-mute will write in English and the
French deaf mute In French, they will have
among themselves a universal language of
common signs. into which may no Babel
ever enter.
Always in Front.
Galiaa'et College rls always stood in the
advance Vi similar Institutions. and repre-