Panara, Robert

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Rochester Institute of TechnologyRIT Scholar WorksArticles1976The Deaf in America: two hundred years ofprogressRobert PanaraFollow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.rit.edu/articleThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by RIT Scholar Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in Articles by an authorizedadministrator of RIT Scholar Works. For more information, please contact ritscholarworks@rit.edu.Recommended CitationPanara, Robert. (1976). The deaf in America: Two hundred years of progress. NTID focus, November/December 1976, 4-7.John Carlin,an outstandingdeafpainterandpoetof theearly1800's.LauraC. Redden,a fameddeafwriterofthe late1800's..' The DeafinAmerica:Two HundredYears of ProgressbyRobertF.PanaraIn 1943,Dr.HarryBestpublishedDeafnessandtheDeafin theUnitedStates,adefinitivestudyof thehandicapofdeafnessandtheachievementsof thedeaf inAmerica.Inthiscomprehensivework,thenotedsociologistconcludedwitha genuinetribute"tothemostmisunderstoodamongthesonsofmenandthegamestof themaiL"Therewasan historicalbasisforsuchanevaluationinasmuchas,morethan2,500yearsearlier,Aristotlewrotethat"theear is theorganofeducation"andthatthedeaf lackedtheabilitytoreason,muchlessto learnto readandwrite.It provedtobea damagingassessmentwhichwas echoedbymanylaterwriters,amongthemLucretiusofRomewhoseclassiccoupletsummedupthejudgementofantiquity:"To instructthedeafnoartcouldeverreach,No careimprovethemandnowisdomteach."TheseattitudeseveninfluencedthepopularbeliefthroughoutthesucceedingagesofChristianityandtheRenaissance,despiteoccasionalevidencesof "a successstory"-of adeaf-mute,usuallyfromthewealthyaristocracy,whowaseducatedbyintensiveprivatetutoringandeventually"restoredto society."However,peoplegenerallygreetedachievementsbydeafindividualswithskepticismorelse regardedthephenomenaastheworkof charlatans.EducationThefirst recordinAmericaofanattempttoteachthedeafwasinRowley,Mass.,in1699whenamannamedPhilip Nelsontriedtoteachtheartof speechto a "deafanddumbboy," IsaacKilbourn.Quitenaturally,Nelson'swork"seemedsuchanextraordinarythingthatthe ministersof thecommunity.. . madeaninvestigation,fearingthatwitchesmightbe involvedintheaffair."Undoubtedly,humanjudgementwasstill influencedbyAristotle,andAmerica'sdeafmighthavecontinuedto dwellinthedungeonsofdespairhadtherenotoccurredin1776arevolutionofwholesomedissentwhichstroveto bringabouta newunderstandingof thedignityof man.A youngclergymanpossessedsuchfaithinthehumanspirit.ThomasHopkinsGallaudetof Hartford,Conn.,foundedthefirst freeschool for thedeafinAmericain1817inHartford.In this,his life'swork,hewasassistedbya deafteachernamedLaurentClerc.Gallaudethadgoneto Paris tolearnthemostadvancedmethodofinstructingthedeafattheRoyalInstitutefor Deaf-Mutes,foundedin1769bytheAbbede l'Epee.Whilethere,Gallaudetmetthebrilliantdeafteacher,LaurentClerc,whotaughthimsign languageandmethodsofteachingthedeaf.GallaudetrealizedthatClerc hadtheexpertiseand"thedeafexperience"to helphimfulfill hismissionofteachingthedeafinAmerica,andheofferedClerc theopportunityto becomehis assistant.The storyof howLaurentClercjourneyedtothelandof promiseswherehebecamethefirstdeafteacherofthedeafstillservesasa modelforcountlessotherswhohavefollowedtheAmericandreamof fulfillmentthroughopportunity.Their struggleto overcometherealitiesofdeafnessandcontributetothedevelopmentofAmericais anaffirmationof thefaithofourforefathersintheAmericanpromiseof "life,libertyandthepursuitof happiness."In manydiverseareasof life,thedeafAmericanhasleftan imprintintheartsandsciences,ineducationandindustry,in lawandgovernment,insportsandentertainment.Quiteoften,too,thesesuccessstoriesfollowthesamepatternas thatof theirnormalhearingcounterparts.A briefsamplingof somenotableachievementsmayillustratethediversityofachievementsbydeafAmericans.PaintingandSculptureDeaffrombirthin1813,John CarlingraduatedfromtheMt.Airy SchoolfortheDeaf(Philadelphia)attheageof 12.Beginningasa signandhousepainter.hestudiedeverynightathome,r.nasteringarthistory,Englishandfiveforeignlanguages.Aftersavingenoughmoney,hewentto Europetostudyart.Eventuallyhebecameanoutstandingpainterof portraitsof suchcelebritiesasWilliamSeward,HoraceGreeley,HamiltonFish,andJefferson Davis.Thefirstknowndeafpersontocomposeexcellentpoetry,hisworkwas praisedbyWmiamCullenBryant.Mr. Carlinwasalso a prolificwriterwhosearticleson architecture,geologyandecologywerepublishedinleadingnewspapers:HewasthefirstdeafpersoninAmericatobeawardedwithanhonorarydegreefromGallaudetCollege(1865),and,quiteappropriately,hepaintedthefirstportraitofLaurentClerc,oneofhisteachers.DouglasTildenwasbornin1860andbecamedeafattheageoffive.UpongraduatingfromtheCaliforniaSchoolfortheDeaf(Berkeley),hetaughtartandsculptureattheschool.AwardedagrantbytheBoardofDirectors,hestudiedsculptureinParisandsoonattractedtheattentionofhispeers.HisfamedBearHunt,nowonthecampusof.theBerkeleySchool,wasexhibitedattheChicagoWorld'sFair(1893),afterwhichhesetuphisownstudioinSanFrancisco.HissculpturesattractedtheattentionofSenatorJames D.Phelan,whobecameMr.Tilden'spatron.Amonghisfamouspiecesare threesculpturesstandingin SanFrancisco'sGoldenGateParktoday,thefamedFootballPlayersonthecampusof theUniversityofCaliforniaandthecelebratedgroupfigures,The Mechanics,in MarketStreetPlaza,San Francisco.Tildenalsoservedas professorof sculptureattheUniversityof CaliforniaandatSt. Mary'sCollege,Oakland.CadwalladerWashburnwasbornin1866andbecametotallydeafat agefive,laterattendingtheMinnesotaSchool fortheDeaf.He graduatedfromGallaudetCollegeandthenstudiedarchitectureat M.I.T.,afterwhichhebegana careerofartunderWilliamH.Chase,NewYork City,andstudiedwithSorolla inMadridandBesnardinParis.An outstandingoil painter,heeventuallybecameknownasoneoftheworld'sbestdry-pointetchers.HisetchingshavebeencomparedtotheworksofRembrandtandWhistler.Critics claimhisportraitsilluminetheeyesas "windowsof thesoul," suchascharacterizedbyhisBuddhistPriest,Mexicanand Indianportraits,andtheMallorcasubjectssuchasIntrospection,TheSmuggler,andTheMatriarch.Who'sWho(1955)listedmuseumsall overtheworldwhereMr.Washburn'setchingsare permanentlyexhibited,andwhenhediedattheageof99,theobituariesrecognizedhimas"thedeanofAmericanetchers."Hillis Arnold,bornin 1910,becametotallydeafatage6,attendedMirmeapolispublicschoolsandgraduatedfromMinneapolisCentralHighSchool.HegraduatedfromtheUniversityof Minnesota,"cumlaude,"attendedtheMinneapolisSchoolofArtandtheCranbrookAcademyofArt,wherehestudiedunderthefamedSwedishsculptor,Carl Milles,whomheassistedwiththerenownedfountaindisplay,TheWeddingof theRivers,locatedoppositeUnionStation,theSt. Louis (Mo.)railroadterminal.Mr.Arnoldhaspaintedthe250-footmuralsinthegreathall ofengineering,Universityof Minnesota;hisWorldWarII memorialisan impressivelimestoneshaft,32feethigh,risingfromtheAloePlaza indowntownSt. Louis;hisManifestDestinyis agiantwoodeneagle,witha five-footwingspread,in themuseumofWestwardExpansionundertheSt.Louis GatewayArch.Arnoldhasalsopioneeredtheuseofplasticaluminumtechniquesinsomeof his sculptures.The UnitedStatesInformationAgencyselectedoneofhisangelsmadefrom------polyesteresinfor theexhibit"Plastics,USA" inLeningrad..RecognizedasoneofAmerica'sfinestsculptorstoday,Arnold recentlyretiredafterteachingsculptureatMonticelloCollege(III.)for morethan30years.LiteratureandJournalismLauraC.Redden,bornin 1840,becametotallydeaf attheageofeleven,afterwhichsheattendedandgraduatedfromtheMissouriSchoolfortheDeaf.A self-madejournalist,hisfirst deaf"Iibber" receivedheropportunitytobreak intoprintfromtheSt.Louis Republican.Sheservedas a correspondentforthatnewspaperduringtheCivilWar.Writingunderthepennameof"HowardGlyndon,"shewroteinaneasy,informalstyleaboutpeople,places,politics,and books.Herarticle,"NotableMenof theHouseofRepresentatives,"waswidelydiscussed,andsomeofher patronsfor herfirst bookof poems,IdyllsofBattle(1865),includedPresidentLincoln,Gen.Grant,andGen.Garfield.After theCivil War,Ms.ReddentouredEuropewhile still serving asacorrespondentfortheRepublicanandN.Y. Times-doing mostof herreportingviapadandpencilcommunication.Manyofherarticlesappearedinleadingmagazinessuchas Harper'sand Galaxy.In1873,hersecondbookof poemsSoundsFromSecretChambersappeared,followedbyanautobiographicalnovel,EchoesofOtherDays(1878).WilliamW.Beadell,whoattendedtheNewJersey School for theDeafandgraduatedfromGallaudetCollege(1885),wasalso a successfuljournalistandpublisher.He becameeditorandownerof TheArlington(N.J.) Observerwhichfor manyyearswas "a kingmakerof thestatepolitics."Mr. Beadellwasthefirst to developthe"WantAd Page,"whichmademanyeditorsandpublishersbeata pathwaytohis doorto learnhis techniques.ArchitectureandEngineeringThomasS.Marr,agraduateof theTennesseeSchool for theDeafandGallaudetCollege(1889),studiedarchitectureatvariousschoolsbutwasmostlyself-educated.Hedesignedthelargesthotelof his day inNashville,aswellasseveralotherpublicbuildingsandnumerousotheredificesin theSouth.His "considerableworksofexcellencearenowpublishedinarchitecturalhandbooksthatarerequiredstudyinSoutherncolleges."RobertCarrWallgraduatedin1885fromtheWesternPennsylvaniaSchoolfortheDeafwherehewas considered"a mechanicalgenius."Hedeveloped"thefirstsafebicycle Philadelphiahadeverseen."These bicyclesfeaturedtwostandardsizedwheelsinsteadof the"highwheelers"theninvogue,whichwereconsideredhazardous.In 1904,officialsof thePackardAutoCo. askedMr.Walltobuilda rattle-proofwindshieldwhichprovedso satisfactorythathe laterbuiltall thewindshieldsfor Packard.KennethL.Cobb graduated fromtheMaloneSchool for theDeaf(N.Y.)andfromGallaudetCollege(1943).Aself-madedraftsman,hewasemployedasa machinistspecialistin thegiantIBM plantatBinghamton,N.Y.,wherehebecameanexpert"troubleshooter,"andhe lateradvancedtosupervisor.-- -A highlyregardedconsultant,hisassignmentscarriedhimtoTokyowhereheheadeda taskforce in"locatingsuitablebusinesssitesandassemblingcomplicatedequipment,"laterdoingthesameinAustraliaandotherAsiancenters.Business and IndustryJeanWolvertongraduatedfromGallaudetCollege(1919)andeventuallyenteredthebusinessworldasamarketinganalyst.ShebecameahighlyvaluedexpertinthisfieldwithHearstPublications,andher"rarebusinessjudgementwasinstrumentalintheexpandingnewspaperempireofWilliamRandolphHearst."SamuelA.BlockgraduatedfromP.S.47andDeWittClintonHighSchoolin NewYork Cityandwona scholarshipto CityCollegeof NewYork wherehegraduatedin1932witha bachelor'sdegreeinbusinessadministration.Mr. Blockhadalonganddistinguishedcareerinpublicserviceasa statisticianandbecamechiefof theretirementandanalysissectionof theRailroadRetirementBoard,Officeof Research,Chicago.1/ .rAnsonR.Speargraduatedfrom theMinnesotaSchool for theDeaf(1878)Ilnd spenta yearatGallaudetCollege,leavingfor financialreasonstobecomea postofficeclerk.Headvancedtoheadclerk inMinneapolisandthenleftto go intobusinessfor himselfthroughhis inventionandpatentingof the"SpearSafetyEnvelope."Hisbusiness,theSpearSafetyEnvelopeCo.,prosperedfor manyyearsinMinneapolisandemployedmanydeafworkers.BruceClaryattendedtheRochester(N.Y.)School fortheDeafinthe1930'swherehe learnedthemachinist'strade.Hetookthelongroutethroughthe"collegeof hardknocks"to becomeamastermachinist.Hefoundedthep &C Screw MachineProductsinLos Angeleslessthanfiveyearsago,startingina garagewithtwomachines.----P &C in 1974had$3.5millionin ordersand62employees,thelargestbusinesseverfounded,managedandoperatedbythedeaf.WorkingunderamanagementcontractwiththeDepartmentof Defense,Mr.Claryrecently"tookovera largeproductionfacilitywithmorethan200metalworkingmachines,wherehehopestoemployatleast1,000people.Ninetenthsof them,fromjanitorstovicepresidents,will bedeaf.Ifwecan doit,otherscan."EmergenceDeafAmericanshavecomea longwaysince theyfirstbegantolearn"thethreeR's," less than200yearsago.Fromthedungeonofdarkness,theyhaveemerged.However,likemostminoritygroups,theystill havetheproblemof integratingwiththemainstreamof society.Indeed,theproblemgoesevendeeperbecauseitinvolvesthebarrierof communicationwhich isolatesthedeaffromthe restof society.This communication"wall"notonly preventsthedeaffromcommunicatingfreelywithothers,butitalsoblocksoutthosechannelsofpopularcommunicatingwhichcharacterizethelife-bloodandlife-styleofmodernman-thetelephone,theradio,televisionand"talkingpictures"or movies.The deaf,nevertheless,continuetobeundaunted.Theyare proudof theirAmericanheritage,andtheyhaveimplicitfaithin theAmericanpromiseof bettertomorrows.Evennow,onthebicentennialof ourcountry'sprogress,thereare hopefulsignsthattheymayyetsucceedin "breakingthesoundbarrier."This is theoutcomeof suchrecenttechnologicalbreakthroughsastheTTY, theVistaphone,andcaptionedTV programs.Fittingly,itwas a deafphysicist,~r.RobertH.Weitbrecht,whomadepossibledirecttelephonecommunicationbythedeaf throughtheuseof discardedWesternUnionteletypewriters.Dr.Weitbrecht'sinventionoftheTerminalUnit(TU)in 1964,anacousticcouplerwhichactivatedtransmissionof printedmessagesorcommunicationviatelephonelinkage,mightbe likenedto Bell'spioneeringinvention.TheproliferationofTTY's soon followedwiththeorganizationofTeletypewritersfor theDeaf,Inc. (TDI),spearheadedbytwodeaf leaders-Dr. H.LathamBreunig,itsexecutivedirectorsince1968and pastpresidentof theOralDeafAdultsSectionof theAlexanderGrahamBellAssociationof theDeaf,andJess M.Smith,pastpresidentoftheNationalAssociationof theDeafandeditorof itsnationalmagazine.The rapidlydevelopingnetworkofTTY's todayincludesan InternationalTTY Directoryandover5,000individualmemberusers,plusanestimated3,000additionalstations.TheVistaphone(seeNTID Focus,Sept.-Oct.,1973),offersstill betterpossibilitiesfor massutilizationoftelephonecommunicationbythedeaf,becauseitfeaturesspontaneousvisualcommunicationviatelevisionimages.Manufacturedby Stromberg-CarlsonCo. ofRochester,N.Y.,these"picture-telephones"havebeenusedbytheNationalTechnicalInstitutefortheDeafonatrialbasissince1969.With27unitsincontinuousoperationoverthehugecampussharedjointlywithRochesterInstituteofTechnology,theyhaveaddedanentirelynewdimensioninbusinessand personalcommunicationsfor deafpersons.Betterstill, theycanexpressthemselvesindependentlyandrelatemorepositivelyto thehearingworld.The implicationsof massTVutilizationbydeafviewersaretremendous.In Rochester,N.Y., PublicBroadcastingStationWXXI(TV-21)initiated"NewsfortheDeaf" inMarch,1972,featuringlivepresentationsofthenationallytelevised"ABC EveningNews"viaskilledinterpretersfromNTID. Eventually,this programwassupersededbythe"CaptionedEveningNews Program"of Boston'sWGBH-TVwhichnowcaptionsandrebroadcastsat11:00p.m.theregular6:00p.m.programwithHarryReasonerandBarbaraWalters.The WGBH-TV "Captioned EveningNews" and other special programs forthe deaf are funded by Media Servicesand Captioned Films, Bureau ofEducation for the Handicapped, thedivisional chief of which is an Joutstandingdeafman,Dr.MalcolmJ. Norwood.In a continuingefforttoprovidedeafviewerswiththesamekindofinputandpleasurederivedby hearingconsumersof popularandeducationalTV programs,CaptionedFilmshasinitiatedexperimentswhichmakeitpossiblefor captionsto bebroadcastbutonlyseenbyviewerswithTV setsequippedwithaspecialdecoder.Thisdevice,calledthe"NBS TVTimeSystem"(NationalBureauofStandardsinvention),mayrealizea lowcostmethodoftelevisingallvideotapedprograms.It mayalso prove"thebe-allandtheend-all"ofthedeafAmerican'squestofequalopportunity,ofeducationalandculturalparitywithhearingpeers.And, inthis timeof technologicalplenty,thepromiseof bettertomorrowslooks verybrightindeed.RobertF. Panara,professorof English anddramain NTID'sExperimentalEducationalTheatre,wasthe firstdeaf personto join theprofessionalstaffof NTIDin 1967.An educatorof wideexperience.Mr. Panaraearned his bachelor'sdegreefromGallaudetCollege; his master'satNewYorkUniversity;and hasdone doctoralstudiesat CatholicUniversityin Washington,D.C.Mr. Panarabeganhis teachingcareerin 1945at NewYork Schoolfor theDeaf in WhitePlains.He laterservedas associateprofessorof Englishat Gallaudet.The methodsof teachingliteratureanddramato thedeafhavebeenthetopics of his numerouspublishedarticles.Materialsquotedare from thefollowingreferences:Best,Harry.TheDeaf,Crowell,N.Y., 1914.Best,Harry.Deafness& theDeaf in theU.S.,Macmillan,N.Y., 1943.Burnes,ByronB. "Historyof the Educationof theDeafto 1815,"A Handbookof ReadingsinEducationof theDeaf (IrvingFusfeld,ed.),ThomasPubl., Springfield,III., 1967.Panara,RobertF. "The DeafWriter inAmerica,"AmericanAnnals of theDeaf,Sept.,1970.Runde.WinfieldS. "DouglasTilden, Sculptor,"Silent Worker,Dec.,1952.Kowalewski,Felix."The Deafin Art," SilentWorker,Oct., 1954.Kowalewski,Felix."Hillis Arnold: AmericanDeafSculptor,"The DeafAmerican,Nov.,1972.Higgins,Francis. "The PioneeringSpiritof theDeaf," D.A.D.News (OntarioAssn. of theDeaf),Jan.-Feb., 1969.Atwood,AlbertW. Gal/audetCol/ege: Its FirstOne HundredYears,GallaudetPress, Washington,1964.Braddock,GuilbertC. NotableDeafPersons(FlorenceCrammatte,ed.),GallaudetPress,Washington,1975.Schiller,Ronald."The LonelyWorld of Silence,"Reader'sDigest,Aug., 1974.- --

The Deaf in America: Two Hundred Years of Progress

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The Deaf in America: Two Hundred Years of Progress

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