At a Glance
History and Traditions
About
Shaping the Signing Ecosystem
For over 150 years, our mission has been to empower deaf and hard of hearing communities globally. This mission lives through Gallaudet’s position as a space where the vitality of the deaf experience and vibrancy of sign language thrive.
By working for the greater good of our students and community, we believe we can create a better world. Together.
We are becoming: our timeline
From Start to We’re Not Finished
Since President Lincoln signed the legislation that broke ground on establishing a school for the deaf and hard of hearing, we remain the world’s only liberal arts university for deaf and hard of hearing students.
The Gallaudet Promise
Formal recognition of ASL as a Language
As a result of research by William Stokoe, a longtime professor of English at Gallaudet, and the support of two deaf colleagues, Ms. Dorothy Sueoka Casterline, ’58 and Mr. Carl-Gustaf Croneberg, ’55, the study of ASL linguistics was established.
William Stokoe
Deaf President Now Movement
The Deaf President Now (DPN) movement, which happened in 1988, has been synonymous with continuous efforts to improve the lives of deaf and hard of hearing people everywhere. It led to the appointment of the university’s first deaf president and instilled a sense of pride and accomplishment in deaf and hard of hearing people worldwide.
The Impact of DPN
Deaf Leadership
The university’s executive leadership team is predominantly deaf. Besides President Cordano, the chief of staff and the chief academic, bilingual, communications and undergraduate admissions, financial, legal, and operating officers are deaf. The dean of student affairs and the Clerc Center chief academic officer are also deaf. The majority of executive-level appointees are women. This ensures that the university’s leadership closely resembles the student body.
University Leadership
Academics, research and innovation are top priorities at Gallaudet.
Academics
Research and Innovation
Institutional Effectiveness and Certification
Historic Grounds. History-making Students.
Our Bison Family in Numbers
Historic Grounds. History-making Students.
Our Bison Family in Numbers
We Are Becoming
In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln signed the legislation authorizing the establishment of a college for deaf and hard of hearing students in Washington, D.C. We’ve grown a lot over the centuries and continue to evolve into our future.
See our progress over the early 1800s.
Play Video
Transcript for We are Becoming Video
[Video Start]
[Video presented in English]
Gallaudet University: Our PROGRESS;
We are becoming.
1817: American School for the Deaf founded, reinforcing deaf education in the United States
1854: John Carlin, a deaf artist and writer, advocates for a deaf college
1857: Columbia Institution for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb and Blind
1864: President Abraham Lincoln signed the charterauthorizing the Columbia Institution to award collegiate degrees.
1880: NAD founded Milan Conference
1887: White women admitted to Gallaudet on probationary status
1892 & 1893: Alto Lowman and Agatha Tiegel Hanson first women to graduate
1894: Changed name to Gallaudet College
1905: Kendall School becomes segregated;sends students of color to a school for colored deaf mutes in Maryland.
1913: Preserving Sign Language: George Veditz
1948: First Hispanic student: Robert R. Davila
1954: Andrew Foster first black male to graduate
1957: Ida Wynette Hampton first black female to graduate
1950s: Gallaudet became accredited
1952: Louise B. Miller won a suit against the District of Columbia Board of Educationto allow her son and other black deaf children to attend Kendall School
1954: Black students integrated into classrooms at Kendall School
1960: William C. Stokoe authored a monograph recognizing ASL as a language
1965: Publication of A Dictionary of American Sign Language on Linguistic Principles,by William C. Stokoe, Dorothy C. Casterline, and Carl G. Croneberg
1969: The Model Secondary School for the Deaf opens
1986: Gallaudet becomes a university
1988: Deaf President Now movement and first deaf President, Dr. I. King Jordan
1980s-1990s: Bilingual movement began in K-12 settingsLearning Center for the Deaf (Marie Jean Philip)Indiana School for the Deaf (Laurene Simms)
1989: Unlocking the Curriculum: Principles for Achieving Access in Deaf Education;Robert E. Johnson, Scott K. Liddell, and Carol J. Erting
2007: First Hispanic Deaf President, Dr. Robert R. Davila
2007: Board of Trustees approves Gallaudet mission statement,recognizing Gallaudet as a bilingual, diverse, and multicultural institution
2008: Gallaudet cited as a model for other colleges and universitiesfor its general studies program and culture of assessment
2008: Sixth Street development
2009: MSCHE report encourages Gallaudet to refine its mission statement
2010: Third Deaf President, Dr. T. Alan Hurwitz
2016: First openly LGBTQIA Deaf President, Roberta J. Cordano
2017: We started to develop our bilingual mission framework
2019: Board of Trustees adopted bilingual mission frameworkthat was developed by faculty, staff, and students
2019: Gallaudet becomes an R2 university,a designation that recognizes its achievement in research and doctoral studies
2020: We announced the appointment of our first Chief Bilingual Officer, Dr. Laurene Simms
Gallaudet University: We are becoming.
[Video End]
1857
The Columbia Institution for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb and Blind was incorporated in 1857, with Edward Miner Gallaudet serving as the school’s president.
1864
The National College for the Deaf and Dumb was established seven years later in 1864 with the signing of its charter by President Lincoln.
1865
The National Deaf-Mute College became the name of the college in 1865, when blind students were transferred to the Maryland Institution for the Blind. This name remained in effect until 1893.
1865
The Columbia Institution for the Deaf and Dumb became the corporate name of the greater institution in 1865, which included both the National Deaf-Mute College and the Primary Department.
1885
The Kendall School became the name of the Primary Department in 1885, honoring Amos Kendall, the philanthropist who initially donated the land for the establishment of the school.
1894
Gallaudet College became the name of the college in 1894, and it remained so until 1985. This renaming honored the Rev. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, father of Edward Miner Gallaudet.
1911
The Columbia Institution for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb and Blind was incorporated in 1857, with Edward Miner Gallaudet serving as the school’s president.
1954
Gallaudet College became the corporate name in 1954.
1969
The Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD), authorized by Congress in 1966, opened on campus in 1969.
1970
The Kendall Demonstration Elementary School (KDES) became the name of the Kendall School in 1970 when President Richard Nixon signed Public Law 91-597.
1986
The Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD), authorized by Congress in 1966, opened on campus in 1969.
Current
Today, the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center comprises KDES and MSSD. Its mission is to improve the quality of education provided to deaf and hard of hearing students across the United States.
1857
The Columbia Institution for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb and Blind was incorporated in 1857, with Edward Miner Gallaudet serving as the school’s president.
1864
The National College for the Deaf and Dumb was established seven years later in 1864 with the signing of its charter by President Lincoln.
1865
The National Deaf-Mute College became the name of the college in 1865, when blind students were transferred to the Maryland Institution for the Blind. This name remained in effect until 1893.
1865
The Columbia Institution for the Deaf and Dumb became the corporate name of the greater institution in 1865, which included both the National Deaf-Mute College and the Primary Department.
1885
The Kendall School became the name of the Primary Department in 1885, honoring Amos Kendall, the philanthropist who initially donated the land for the establishment of the school.
1894
Gallaudet College became the name of the college in 1894, and it remained so until 1985. This renaming honored the Rev. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, father of Edward Miner Gallaudet.
1911
The Columbia Institution for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb and Blind was incorporated in 1857, with Edward Miner Gallaudet serving as the school’s president.
1954
Gallaudet College became the corporate name in 1954.
1969
The Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD), authorized by Congress in 1966, opened on campus in 1969.
1970
The Kendall Demonstration Elementary School (KDES) became the name of the Kendall School in 1970 when President Richard Nixon signed Public Law 91-597.
1986
The Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD), authorized by Congress in 1966, opened on campus in 1969.
Current
Today, the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center comprises KDES and MSSD. Its mission is to improve the quality of education provided to deaf and hard of hearing students across the United States.
Visit us
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Visit Gallaudet on a virtual tour of our beautiful campus, facilities, and residence halls from the comfort of your own home.
In-Person Tours
Virtual Tours
Campus Landmarks at a Glance
Built in 1870, Chapel Hall was once the main hub of the university, serving as a chapel, auditorium, exhibit center, and dining hall. This picturesque High Victorian Gothic building is on the National Park Service National Register of Historic Places.
Completed in 1877, College Hall was the main academic building and dormitory for male students. This is now the main administration building.
Also known as House one, this 35-room Victorian Gothic mansion was built in 1869 for the university's first president, Edward Miner Gallaudet.
When this gymnasium, affectionately known as "'Ole Jim," was built in 1881, it was considered one of the finest in the nation and boasted what is possibly the first indoor swimming pool in the country.Learn more about 'Ole Jim'
One of the early works of renowned sculptor Daniel Chester French, this statue depicting the special bond between teacher and student that revolutionized deaf education around the world, was a gift from the National Association of the Deaf in 1889.
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Gallaudet University Regional Centers
Gallaudet’s Regional Centers support our undergraduate and graduate programs by providing resources from the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center for outside training programs, workshops, conferences, youth programs, technical assistance, and consultation to our communities.
Our Regional Centers
East: Northern Essex Community College, Haverhill, MA
Midwest: Austin Community College, Austin, TX
West: Ohlone College, Fremont, CA
South: Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind, Talladega, AL
Visit our Regional Centers
A Consortium of Universities
Gallaudet is proud to be a part of the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area with 28 other universities.
Our Partners Include:
Learn More About the Consortium of Universities
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