150 Years on Kendall Green: The Blog

The conference ended nearly two months ago. This blog must, therefore, also come to an end. I’ll be closing the comments fairly soon, but the blog itself (and its individual posts/entries) will remain indefinitely.

While it was not a ground-breaking conference (there have been other Deaf history conferences, most notably Deaf History International’s (DHI) triennial gatherings (the next one is Stockholm in 2009)), it was an exciting one; the focus was ostensibly on Kendall Green and by extension Gallaudet University, but in reality we learned about such disparate topics as Laura Redden Searing, the history of African Deaf communities, deaf immigrants, the history of Kendall School and its black students, and Deaf ministers. This was in addition to more direct institutional history, such as the work of George Detmold, the life of Douglas Craig, mathematics instruction, and much more. Finally, the three keynote speeches addressed the history of the Deaf community and its origins as viewed through the prism of Kendall Green, the conflicts and leadership of the 20th century, and the concept and meanings behind Deafhood.

Some of these papers we may never hear about again; others will be presented again after further research and revisions, and some will be published as articles and books. As previously noted, Chris Krentz’s presentation was derived from his work, which will be published this fall. I expect some of the other information shared during this gathering will be published, such as Harry Lang’s work on Laura Redden Searing.

In any event, those of us in attendance and those of you who have been following this blog are now aware of the rich history that has been uncovered, the additional information that we now know. These new perceptions of historical events and figures will no doubt inspire additional research and work. Historical research and publication is never static; it’s an ongoing process. Both amateur and trained historians have much to contribute to historical research and writing, whether it’s general history, local history, U.S. history, or Deaf history.

I’m not sure about the other attendees, or about the readers of this blog, but for me, the conference whetted my appetite. Deaf history is still a small, new field, but there is still so much work that can and should be done. I’m not sure how or when I’ll contribute, but I hope to share what I can in whatever way I can to increasing the knowledge and understanding we have of Deaf people in America.

The conference was also beneficial in other ways of course; meeting new people, reconnecting with old friends, and forging ties with people who share a common interest in history. It was also interesting being on campus again; like any other college campus, there’s always construction going on, little changes here and there, and of course, as an alumni, memories seeping from every corner and crevice.

I enjoyed the conference, and I also enjoyed being the “official” recorder of sorts as well. I only wish I could have done a better job. I had originally intended to (*cough*) “liveblog” the conference, with the vision that I would post entries as soon as possible after the actual presentations and speeches. Unfortunately, I was a bit too optimistic– for one thing, my typing speed is nowhere near 200 wpm, nor is my typing anywhere near 100% accuracy. Throw in technical problems (the power went out the afternoon of the first day, I had some difficulties with the computer the second day), and before you know it, it all snowballed. Unexpected illness and the demands of The Real World stretched out the completion of this blog.

So, I’d like to first thank my readers for their patience; if I ever have the opportunity to cover a conference or convention again, I’ll definitely do my part to ensure timeliness!

I’d like to thank Brian Greenwald and his committee, for asking me to take on this responsibility, and then supporting me throughout. I’d also like to thank the Gallaudet University Press for supporting this endeavor as well– both this blog and the conference.

I’d like to thank the conference attendees for allowing me to get in their face with my camera; I only wish I’d had more opportunities to take more photos, especially more candid shots.

While all the presenters should be acknowledged for their presentations and speeches, I’d especially like to thank Dr. James McPherson, Dr. I. King Jordan, and Dr. Paddy Ladd for agreeing to an interview. I think the interviews allowed the opportunity to expand more on the central points all three wanted to make, and also permitted the audience here at the blog to better understand each man and what they brought to the conference.

The comments you left also made this a fun interactive experience. I would like to specifically thank Barb DiGi, a fellow conference attendee, for her sharp attention to detail. Barb has vlogged a few entries about the conference. I had the pleasure of meeting her, and only wish she’d introduced herself earlier!

I also owe gratitude to Shane Feldman and Jared Evans. Both covered the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) conference last summer in Palm Desert, California, and thus had invaluable experience in covering a conference/convention. Both were generous with their thoughts and insights. Thank you, Shane and Jared!

The suggestions I received from Feldman and Evans (no relation, folks!) helped immeasurably; but in retrospect, there’s more I could have done. That’s always the case, I think. But overall, I think this blog accomplished what it set out to do.

Thanks for joining me. See you at the next Deaf history conference, wherever and whenever it is (I’m considering the possibility of Sweden in 2009. See what happens…)!

Postscript: It has been remarked on here and elsewhere that these individual entries contain a lot of information. I want to make it clear here: NONE of these entries I’ve written are verbatim transcripts. They are SUMMARIZATIONS. Please treat them as such. Additionally, I’d like to again remind everyone that if you use any material here, you need to cite your source. Give credit to myself/this blog, and credit to the original presenter. Thank you.

As I begin to bring this blog to its close, I should quickly mention here that during this anniversary year, there will be a reunion for those that attended Kendall School. The 150th Anniversary Reunion will be held June 14-16, 2007, at Kendall Green, naturally!

There will be a picnic, an academic bowl, a banquet, exhibits, workshops, and forums. It looks like it’ll be a good time for people that are attending. Unfortunately, I’m posting this after the Kellogg Conference Hotel’s deadline for rooms, but with time still left to buy combo tickets– the deadline for that is June 6, 2007. You can find more information on this reunion at www.kendallalumni.org.

Paddy Ladd’s keynote speech led to observations and opinions, both in person at the conference and in the comments section of the keynote post on this blog, about whether filming of presentations should be allowed. Naturally, quite a few people felt the conference presentations should be filmed, and rumors spread that control by interpreters was the reason for Dr. Ladd being denied permission to film. Others suggested it was a classic conflict between hearing and deaf, oppressor and oppressed. Yet others noted the inconsistency in policy; Dr. Ladd himself noted in our interview that while he was disturbed by the seeming refusal to allow the filming of his own speech, he also observed that, “However, this problem also occurred at the last two DHI conferences too, which were Deaf-run, which is even worse.”

I had been informed prior to attending the conference that although I was free to take notes, and I had been tapped to do a blog of the conference, with posts summarizing the presentations and activities, I would not be allowed to take pictures during the actual speeches/presentations. This was largely due to legal concerns, but upon reflection, having flash exploding in your eyes would probably be a big distraction for everyone, including the speaker!

I decided in the wake of this controversy and Paddy Ladd’s own comments during the interview with him, partly out of curiosity, and partly out of a sense of fairness, to ask Dr. John Van Cleve, the head of the Gallaudet University Press (which sponsored the conference), and a member of the committee that organized this conference, if he had anything he wanted to add in the way of an explanation or a rebuttal. He took the opportunity to issue the following statement:

“Filming presentations at conferences presents legal and ethical problems. Everyone at a conference that is not a public event has the legal right to deny that their image can be copied and distributed without their permission. This includes not only the presenters and the interpreters, but also people who ask questions, the session chair, and even technical staff who may cross the stage in the performance of their responsibilities. Anyone who is filmed any time, for any reason whatsoever, must be told 1) exactly how the film is going to be used and 2) sign a formal, written, legal release allowing the filming to occur. The release must state the ways the film will be distributed and its purposes, and the release must give the person who will be filmed the opportunity to restrict the distribution of their image. Filming under any other conditions is unethical, and in the United States it is illegal.

Experienced conference organizers are aware of these issues, and they know that in today’s world the distribution of films cannot be controlled. The usual solution to the ethical and legal problems therefore is to deny all filming. This is not an ideal solution, but it is one that allows these kinds of conferences, particularly conferences with professional interpreters on stage, who have a legal and ethical expectation that they will not be filmed, to occur.

The presenters at the “150 Years on Kendall Green” conference knew ahead of time that they could not film. Dr. Greenwald repeated this in his statements at the beginning of the conference, and it was expected that the presenters would therefore follow this rule and respect the rights of other individuals at the conference as well as the legal obligations of Gallaudet University.”

It seems that the decision was made in advance not to allow any recording of this conference whatsoever. There’s still the issue of the captioning, any audio recordings, and other methods, but as far as I know at this point, nothing was retained. This blog, to the best of my knowledge, is the only “official” record. There’s also other mentions of the conference here and there, most notably Barb DiGi’s recollections, at her site, Deaf Progressivism.

As I’ve noted before, the presenters may be adapting their papers for future publication as articles or books. It’s also possible that this conference is the only time we’ll hear or read about these presentations at all.

What interests me here is the inconsistency of this issue. While Ladd and others legitimately note that ASL is a visual language (indeed, *all* signed languages are visual languages) and support filming as a way to preserve signs and Deaf history, Van Cleve also correctly notes that it is a legal issue as well as an ethical and moral issue.

Some may argue that Van Cleve is following established procedures and policies, including those established prior to the conference; others may argue that Ladd has the right to film himself. But I don’t think pointing fingers is the appropriate way to handle this. In fact, I think both Van Cleve and Ladd are right: we need to preserve our history and language, but not at the cost of violating laws and crossing ethical boundaries.

Ladd is also on target about the Deaf History International (DHI) conferences. I’ve told many people, both on-line and off, that I have never seen videotaping or filming of conferences, and I’ve gone to quite a few academic conferences, which are different from social events and cultural festivals. Yet, not too long after I returned from this conference, I was at the ASL Lab at CSUN, looking over their videotape holdings, and found a few from the very first DHI conference in 1991 at Gallaudet University. I viewed one, and sure enough, the actual presentations were there. So there is an imbalance in DHI’s own policies; while there were films made of the first gathering, apparently that’s not the case now.

So what to do about this? I think the best solution is not to blame Van Cleve or Ladd, DHI or Gallaudet. That does nothing– all it accomplishes is negativity, hand-wringing, and yet another issue for us to all chew on (and ultimately do nothing about). Rather, I think two communities could work together to help formulate policies and guidelines. Once they’ve done so, they could then take their proposed solutions to Gallaudet, which should then institute a formal policy for future conferences, especially those revolving around Deaf culture and history. The two groups I have in mind are Deaf Academics, a community of Deaf people seeking terminal degrees in their chosen profession, and deaf filmmakers. These rising academics have attended conferences and are familiar with (or soon will be!) the inner workings of academia, and can see both the needs and practices of academia and the needs of the Deaf community. Thus they’re in a unique position to help shape policy for the future. Deaf filmmakers are of course familiar with their craft, and can aid in helping to outline guidelines and policies that the academics craft.

Maybe these aren’t the two best groups; maybe they won’t want to assume responsibility. But it’s an idea, and a starting place that’s worth exploring. At the very least, instead of being reactive about this situation, it’s time for us to start practicing what quite a few of us have been preaching of late: be proactive. Future policies won’t only benefit Gallaudet; they can also benefit regional, state, and national groups, other universities and programs (CSUN and NTID, for example), and perhaps lead to a fuller understanding of how to craft guidelines that will meet the needs of everyone involved.

We’re in the middle of a prolonged power outage on campus. It seems to have affected the Gallaudet portions of Kendall Green only, but it’s enough to have disrupted the conference. Nevertheless, Brian Greenwald and John Van Cleve inform the audience that since lunch has already been set out in the ballroom, that we’ll have lunch now, and hopefully we’ll be able to resume the presentations in time.

The fare is better than I’ve had during similar gatherings at Gallaudet– deli meats and cheeses, bread, potatoes, vegetables, stir fry, salad, and other items. I make my way towards a table and promptly am surrounded by 3/4ths of the Gallaudet History Department. Since I was a student of nearly every person present, it made for a clubby sort of lunch. We were also joined by James McPherson and his delightful wife, and we had a pleasant lunch interspersed with light conversation that soon turned to historical discussions based upon McPherson’s keynote speech. I’m sure other tables had somewhat less lofty conversations! Nevertheless, it reminded me a bit of history conferences I’ve attended in the past. As a former historian-in-training and an armchair history buff, I was definitely in my element. I had hoped to take pictures of others in the room, but alas, this wasn’t possible today. Perhaps tomorrow. I was also fortunate to be able to sit down with McPherson, and the resulting interview will be up on the blog soon.

At the conclusion of lunch, Brian Greenwald made an announcement: we would find out shortly whether the power would resume soon, and if not, what the arrangements would be. It was also announced that due to the power outage, the campus itself had been closed, and the actors for “Sign Me Alice” had left for the day. This meant that the scheduled performance for tonight was cancelled, and conference attendees would have to attend one of the performances tomorrow, Friday, or Saturday.

We all headed out into the hall to socialize and await further news. Finally Greenwald and his committee hit upon a solution: the bistro dining area just outside the ballroom would be cleared of food and carts, chairs would be brought out, and the conference would resume in this area. We are still hoping that the power wil return so we can re-enter the auditorium, but at this point, it looks unlikely, and the day’s schedule has therefore been altered a bit. As of this time, Bahan and Bauman’s presentation was scrubbed, much to our disappointment, and Michael Olson’s intended presentation on the Thomas H. Gallaudet and Alice Cogswell statue would not be given. I was sorry about this, as I knew Olson had the benefit of a long tenure in the archives with Ulf Hedberg, and was sure to share some interesting information.

The afternoon’s reconfigured lineup would have two of three panelists for the “Minorities at Gallaudet” panel speak, with the absence of Walter P. Kelley, who was unable to attend due to illness. Olson’s cancelled presentation meant that following this panel, we would then have the remaining panelists from that session, “Politics at Gallaudet University,” present.

Despite the headaches for Greenwald and his committee, and the disruptions to the panels, I found this unexpected incident oddly appropriate: we had started this conference, “150 Years on Kendall Green: Celebrating Deaf History and Gallaudet” firmly ensconced in the 21st century, replete with technology. But due to the power outage, we’re traveling back in time, not just through the presentations and information, but physically in a sense, to an era when people used candles and natural light. We’re in the 19th century for the rest of the afternoon, learning and absorbing information in the same manner as the first Kendall School pupils did. In a way, I think that’s a homage, and a fitting coda to our first day as we honor, remember, and explore the first 150 years of Kendall Green.

In just a few days, the fun will begin. I’m not leaving for DC until Tuesday, but I have no doubt presenters and attendees are starting to pack, starting to travel, starting to arrive in our nation’s capital. In the meantime, I’d like to continue to share a few thoughts and questions for you, as we rapidly approach the beginning of this conference.

A lot of times, people think history involves trained historians and researchers, important people with degrees who teach at universities, present papers, and are knowledgeable about everything. But a lot of times, the work they do depends on armchair enthusiasts– those history buffs that collect materials, do research, volunteer at their local museum or history library, and yes, attend conferences such as these. Sometimes they’re just people who are passionate about a particular topic, but other times they’re social studies teachers, genealogists, hobbyists, and other interested individuals who don’t have formal training or education beyond a bachelor’s degree, yet they contribute what they can to the study of history.

Where Deaf history is concerned, these people are rather important. It’s still a small and growing area of study, and the contributions from amateur historians and the average person can shed light on previously unknown topics. Since our history is still relatively young, there are people living today that embody much of that history. That’s where people like you can come in.

What can we do about Deaf history from a local perspective? One idea is to interview older deaf residents in your families, schools, and communities. What was it like growing up? How were they educated, and where? What events did they personally experience? Who did they meet, or know when they were young? Where did they live as adults, and why? What clubs or groups did they belong to– did they found these groups, or participate in leadership roles?

It’s not just personal and local history that can be accomplished through such interviews. At a time when the Deaf blogosphere is debating the origins of signs, it would be interesting to interview older deaf people and capture their regional slang, older versions of signs (think of “car,” “popcorn,” and “train”– these are examples off the top of my head of signs that have changed), and mutations of present-day ASL. For example, anyone who’s ever seen “Love Is Never Silent” remembers Ed Waterstreet’s character, Abel Ryder, using the old two-handed sign for “telephone.” This is just one of the more well-known examples of signs that no longer exist, or have mutated into new incarnations. Thus interviews can accomplish many things: the story of a person’s life, their community, their extended network, and their linguistic knowledge.

Sometimes such interviews don’t even have to focus on deafness– or maybe they do, but in an interesting way. For example, Robert Panara’s humorous recounting of how he got to meet Babe Ruth was an interesting tidbit on the recent program “Through Deaf Eyes.” It related to his personal experience as a deaf person, sure, but it also spoke to the power of public figures and icons in an era long gone.

Interviews are just one way to capture and preserve Deaf history. What else could you do to explore and shape Deaf history on the local level?

Welcome back yet again! I want to take a few minutes to introduce myself, explain what will happen with this blog, and invite you to participate in this forum.

Who Am I?

My name is David Evans, and I’ve had a long association with Gallaudet, and with history in general. I’m a graduate of Gallaudet, where I majored in history. I earned an M.A. in history from Utah State University, and I am currently taking (a very!) extended leave from my doctoral studies in history. Like many of you, I am proud of Gallaudet and what it means to the Deaf community (that, and my meager collection of early Buff and Blues testify to my interest!). I’m honored (and very excited!) to be able to be a part of this conference.

I was asked by the conference organizers if I would be willing to donate my time and help with the conference– little did I know that their intent was to have me blog! Some of you are familiar with me from DeafDC, among other forums, so I’m not exactly new to blogging and online forums.

What Will Happen Here?

What I will be doing over the next few weeks will involve the following: 1) I will be posting here, and moderating discussions about the conference, the presenters’ papers, and Deaf history in general; 2) I will be live-blogging each presentation during the conference itself, and 3) I will be posting on and moderating follow-up discussions in the aftermath of the conference.

While the blog itself will have a limited shelf-life, the intent is to first allow participation in the conference for those individuals who, for one reason or another, cannot attend the conference; second, to allow participation and discussion from the general public on the topics that will be discussed at the conference; and finally, to aid the historical record by preserving opinion and commentary about the topics and the conference itself.

House Rules

Unlike other blogs/vlogs and forums, this blog has a narrow, specific purpose: a live-blog record of the conference, and discussion and commentary about the conference and its components. This means that while comments will be open to one and all, there will be a few rules.

1) All comments left at each post should ideally be about the panels and individual presenters and the subject matter they are presenting on.

2) Comments that have nothing to do with the conference, or that lead to inappropriate comments, will be removed.

3) Personal attacks, vendettas, flames and flame wars, and unconstructive or irrelevant criticism will not be tolerated.

4) Respect each other, and there should be no problems with the above.

5) Finally, these rules are guidelines. Right now, each post will be open for comments. As moderator, I and the conference organizers reserve the right to revise these rules and guidelines at any time, and to alter blog operations, including open comments.

If you have questions or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment. Welcome aboard!

Welcome to 150 Years on Kendall Green: The Blog! I would like to invite you to join in this journey, as we explore our community’s history through the prism of Kendall Green. Together, we’ll examine what the past 150 years have meant, what they mean now, and what they might mean in the future.

For the next few weeks, we’ll be focusing on Deaf history, and more specifically, the upcoming conference at Gallaudet– 150 Years on Kendall Green: Celebrating Deaf History and Gallaudet. It’s a three-day conference featuring noted scholars, all of whom will be speaking on topics related to Gallaudet. For an official welcome, please click above on “About,” for a message from Brian Greenwald and the conference committee.

In the past, such conferences were largely limited to attendees and academia in general. But in today’s world, where communication is instantaneous, the conference organizers and Gallaudet University Press decided to sponsor this blog. By offering an online forum for participation, this conference aims to expand its participation beyond interested scholars and include a lay audience. By doing so, all of us can learn from, contribute to, and share the history, culture, and influence of Gallaudet University– an institution which has played a significant role in American Deaf history.

Since its inception, the Columbia Institution for the Deaf acted as a parent corporation for Kendall School and what eventually became Gallaudet University, first through its incarnation as a fledgling organization on Kendall Green, and then its flowering as the National Deaf-Mute College. In 1894, the college was renamed for Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, and expanded its operations, improved its campus, and strengthened its mission over the decades.

In the past 25 years, Gallaudet went through numerous changes, from attaining university status, to the famed events of DPN in 1988,  and the celebration of the university’s 125th anniversary, and now its 9th president since 1857. Regardless of the paths the campus has taken through the years, at its heart, Kendall Green has endured, and this year is celebrating its 150th anniversary. One wonders what Amos Kendall and Edward Miner Gallaudet would think, if they could see the once-green country estate of Kendall Green today?

This conference not only celebrates the 150th anniversary, it also explores the history, stories, and influences of the last 150 years. Through exploring and understanding the past, we can create a better present, and look forward to the future and what it portends.

So join us over the next few weeks, as we use this blog as a portal to the past!