Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-09-27
J Buildings
Mark Growth
OF GuIIuudet

Students at Gallaudet Col
lege have seen their campus
undergo a silent, but dramatic
Transformation during the past
three years.
None of them could have
heard the bulldozers, cranes or
other noise-making construc-
ton equipment at the worlds
only college for the deaf.
But the new buildings that
have gone up-Seven to date
have given both them and the
institution new hope for the
future.
Before 1857. Gallaudet could
not get accreditation because
of its Anticipated and over
crowded facilities.
The old Victorian structures
still stand near the entrance at
Florida avenue and Seventh
street NE.
But go behind them and there
is a 200-yard-long mall. so
yards wide. ringed by a new
library. new women's and mems
dormitories. a new classroom
and lab building, a new gym
nasium, a new student activities
building and a new hearing
and speech center.
All have been opened since
1856.
Taken together. they repre-
sent the major portion Of a $40
million building program, ini-
tiated by college officials and
financed by Congress.
We've needed a new plant
for a long. long time" said DR..
George E. Detmold, dean Of
the college. I'VE used to have
300 students. with facilities to
handle about lis. Now we will
have a capacity of 700. And
our plant can compare favor
ably with any other college
this size"
The building program is not
finished: Still to come are a
new auditorium plays are
currently given in the chapeD
and a new Kendall School. a
division of the college which is
primarily attended by District
deaf children The grounds
improvements are also unfin-
iShed-workmen now are busy
handspring the mall
The whole project started
when the college convinced
Federal officials (the Govern
ment provides 70 per cent of
its budget that it meant busi-
ness by announcing that over
500, 900 in alumni funds would
be used to start work on a new
library. The Eugene and Agnes
E. Meyer Foundation gave $10.-
900 more. Then Congress APP
propriated $4,000 to finish
the job.
After that initial victory, the
college won approval Of its
overall plans.
since generalization was
granted by the Middle States
Association Of Colleges and
Secondary Schools in 1857, ap-
plications for admission have
doubled, according to DR.. Det-
mold, who added: This in
crease is not because there are
that many more deaf people"
Only two of the new struc-
lures give any evidence that
the college is for deaf students
One is the new hearing and
speech center-the first diocta-
gon 16-sided) building in the
city. It's one floor and base
ment are filled with special
equipment to teach the deaf to
use what little hearing they
might retain.
The other is the still-to-be
built auditorium. 1t will have
an extra-widL stage and only
IL rows Of seats in the or
chestra.
The total depth of the struc-
ture from front to back wall
will be just So feet but 1t will
still have a capacity Of about
1000 people.
The unusual design is neces-
sary, said DR.. Detmold, so that
all the students will be able to
hear" the sign language and
finger alphabet used on the
stage.
Barring unforeseen delays
the entire building program
should be completed by 1864
100 years after Abraham Lin
coin signed a special act OF
Congress establishing the insti-
tuition.