S.Res. 418 — Introduced in Senate

III 113th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 418 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 150th 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 150th 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 That the Senate honors Gallaudet University on the occasion of its 150th anniversary and recognizes its contributions to higher education in the United States and around the world.