[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 418 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 418
To honor Gallaudet University, a premier institution of higher
education for deaf and hard of hearing people in the United States, on
the occasion of its 150<SUP>th</SUP> anniversary and to recognize the
impact of the University on higher education.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 8, 2014
Mr. Brown (for himself and Mr. Enzi) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education,
Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
To honor Gallaudet University, a premier institution of higher
education for deaf and hard of hearing people in the United States, on
the occasion of its 150<SUP>th</SUP> anniversary and to recognize the
impact of the University on higher education.
Whereas in 1856, philanthropist and former postmaster general Amos Kendall
donated land on his estate in northeast Washington, DC, for a place to
educate the city's deaf youth, and, 8 years later, President Abraham
Lincoln signed a bill authorizing the institution to grant college
degrees;
Whereas theology graduate Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet was inspired to dedicate his
life to educating deaf people after tutoring Alice Cogswell, a 9-year-
old deaf neighbor, and traveled to France, where he learned a manual
communication method of instruction developed by renowned French
educators Abbe Sicard, Laurent Clerc, and Jean Massieu;
Whereas upon returning to the United States, Gallaudet established the American
School for the Deaf, the first permanent school for deaf children in the
United States, in Hartford, Connecticut;
Whereas in 1857, Thomas Gallaudet's youngest son, Edward Miner Gallaudet, took
up his father's cause when he and his deaf mother, Sophia Fowler
Gallaudet, were invited by Kendall to run the newly established Columbia
Institution for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb and the Blind in
Washington, DC;
Whereas with Kendall's resources and Edward Gallaudet's leadership and vision,
the fledgling school grew and flourished, expanding to provide
instruction for aspiring teachers of the deaf and becoming the world's
first, and currently only, institution of higher education devoted to
deaf and hard of hearing students and to hearing students who wish to
pursue careers as professionals serving the deaf community;
Whereas following the 1969 signing of the Model Secondary School for the Deaf
Act (MSSD) by President Lyndon Johnson, Secretary of the United States
Department of Health, Education, and Welfare Wilbur Cohen and Gallaudet
President Leonard Elstad signed an agreement authorizing the
establishment and operation of the MSSD on the Gallaudet campus;
Whereas in 1970, President Richard Nixon signed a bill to authorize the
establishment of Kendall Demonstration Elementary School (along with
MSSD, a component of Gallaudet's Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education
Center), devoted to the creation and dissemination of educational
opportunities for deaf students nationwide;
Whereas by an Act of Congress, Gallaudet was granted university status in
October 1986, and in March 1988, the Deaf President Now (DPN) movement
led to the appointment of the University's first deaf president, Dr. I.
King Jordan, and the first deaf chair of the Board of Trustees, Philip
Bravin;
Whereas the DPN movement has become synonymous with self-determination and
empowerment for deaf and hard of hearing people everywhere;
Whereas the new millennium at Gallaudet has brought events such as the Deaf Way
II festival, the opening of the technology-rich I. King Jordan Student
Academic Center, and the dedication of the James Lee Sorenson Language
and Communication Center, a unique facility that provides an inclusive
learning environment compatible with the visu-centric ``deaf way of
being'';
Whereas Gallaudet's undergraduate students can choose from more than 40 majors
leading to bachelor of arts or bachelor of science degrees, and students
can enroll in graduate and certificate programs, leading to master of
arts, master of science, doctoral, and specialist degrees in a variety
of fields involving professional service to deaf and hard of hearing
people;
Whereas through the Gallaudet University career center, students receive
internships that provide a wealth of experiential learning
opportunities, including placements in local and Federal Government
offices;
Whereas today Gallaudet is viewed by deaf and hearing people alike as a primary
resource for all things related to deaf and hard of hearing people,
including educational and career opportunities, open communication and
visual learning, deaf history and culture, American Sign Language, and
technology that impacts the deaf community;
Whereas Gallaudet student-athletes have consistently gained national and
international recognition over the years for their accomplishments in a
variety of sports, while also being recognized for their success in the
classroom by being named All-Academic honorees within their collegiate
conferences by posting cumulative grade point averages of 3.20 or higher
during the year;
Whereas Gallaudet's anniversary goals are to--
(1) honor its years of academic excellence;
(2) use this milestone to launch new initiatives, discussions, and
partnerships that will lead the University forward;
(3) emphasize that Gallaudet is first and foremost a university in
which academic discourse plays a central role;
(4) recognize the University's unique place in deaf history;
(5) acknowledge and celebrate both the continuity and the change the
campus has seen, including Gallaudet University's progression towards a
greater diversity of people and ideas;
(6) demonstrate Gallaudet's impact on the world and underscore the
University's leadership role on the local, national, and international
level; and
(7) highlight the continuous support of Gallaudet's alumni and
collaborations with the Gallaudet University Alumni Association; and
Whereas Gallaudet's 150<SUP>th</SUP> year theme is ``Gallaudet University:
Celebrating 150 Years of Visionary Leadership'', and this theme will
guide decisions on all activities planned in recognition of Gallaudet
University's sesquicentennial: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate honors Gallaudet University on the
occasion of its 150<SUP>th</SUP> anniversary and recognizes its
contributions to higher education in the United States and around the
world.
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