[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.
                                 <all>