Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-06-01
GaIIaudef Graduates
81, Including First
Girl From District

Gallaudet College yesterday pre-
sented 81 diplomas at its 83d COM
mencement.
In the group was Miss Agnes Vir-
sinia Minor, %, of 1872 Seaton place
NE, the first District girl to be
graduated by the institution for the
deaf. Miss Minor received the
degree of Bachelor of Arts and also
won the Charles Russell Ely prize in
general scholarship.
The exercises were held in the
college assembly hall, Seventh street
and Florida avenue NE.
DR.. Leonard M. Elstad, president,
explained that other District women
have attended the college but mar
ried before they were graduated
Miss Minor will be married June IA
to the Gallaudet physical education
instructor, Donald Padden.
Deafness is no handicap, 1t is
the ignorance and attitude of the
majority that make it inconvenient,"
Mervin D. Garretson, graduate, de-
clared. you are unaware of the
beauty and expressiveness of our
language OF signs because you can
see only its unnaturalness. Mr..
GARRISON won the Olof Hanson
Service Award.
Miss Earline Decker gave a talk
on Science and Life"
1nfernreted nv Snaaker
Mr.. Garretson and Miss Becker
used sign language while speaker
interpreted orally.
Fifteen points were outlined as
a guide for the graduates by DR..
Ethel Acuff Poore, superintendent
OF the Tennessee School for the
Deaf, who received the honorary
degree of Doctor of Humane Let
tiers at the ceremony. The gradu-
ates were advised to use every OPP
portunity to enlighten the public
on the capabilities of the deaf, to
become self-supporting and to think
for themselves.
DR.. Elstad announced that Miss
Ruby Elizabeth Miller, a graduate,
was notified yesterday morning that
her REPLY to Kilroy Was Here"
was one of the 20 poems awarded
special distinction in the 1947 An
nual College Poetry Contest. In the
language of signs, Miss Miller re-
cited another of her poems, Nos
talgia for Indiana"
America the Beautiful" was in
terpreted in the language of signs
with piano accompaniment by three
undergraduates.
Degrees Conferred.
The following degrees were con-
ferred:
Bachelor of Arts: Miss Becker,
Thomas George FISHER, Linette
Freret, Mr.. Garretson, Roy Kay
Holcomb, William Cation James,
Marvin Marshall, John B. Mcdaniel,
Miss Miller. Miss Minor, Cecil
Williamson and Marjoriebell Stakley. !
Bachelor of Science: Jason Wis
ter Ammons, Norma M. Bushey, |
Mary Dorothea Cuscaden, Rudolph
Craver Hines, Robert Eugene Kle-
berg, Keith F. Lange, Mary Frances |
IAhiCls IACobC1 WCOO SOilS,
Evangeline Quidas, Robert Stanley
and Ernest Michael Schuster, Mr.. |
Schuster also won the Charles Rus
sell Ely prize in chemistry award. |
Master of Arts in the Normal De-
partment: Richard Owen Davis,
Waldo Nicholas Heber, Ben Earl
Hoffmeyer, Erwin Webster Marshall, /
Ralph Frederick Neesam, Myrthel
Sophia Nelson. Edward William
Reay, MIR. and Mrs. Herbert Simp-
son, Polly JOY Topping, and Arnin
George Turechek.
Master of Arts in Course: The
Rev. Guilbert Campbell Braddock
and Stephen William Koziar, in
absentia.
Certificate In the Normal Depart
raent: Grace Harris Bardes.
An honorary degree of Master of
Science was presented to David
Friedman, 1904 Gallaudet graduate
and former chemist in the Bureau
of Standards who now lives in