Deaf President Now

American Sign Language

Deaf President Now!

Gallaudet University since its establishment in 1857 had upheld traditions that collided with what they stood for "equality and opportunity for the hearing impaired".

On March 6th 1988, an estimated fifteen hundred people gathered for the first Deaf civil rights movement in history. In its one hundred and twenty four years in existence, Gallaudet University had never appointed a Deaf person to be president. The protest called "Deaf President Now" unquestionably changed the future of the Deaf Community and Deaf Culture. Gallaudet University's Students, faculty members and other supporters of the Deaf community shut down the University's campus which is located in the District of Columbia. They then demanded the end of that legacy and voiced their aspiration for a Deaf person to be appointed president of Gallaudet University.

The campaign initiated when Jerry C. Lee announced that he would be resigning his position as President of Gallaudet University. Elisabeth Zinser was one of the three finalists in consideration for the position of President at Gallaudet University; her opponents were Dr.I. King Jordan and Harvey Corson. Zinser, was the assistant chancellor at the University of North Carolina and had recently begun lessons in sign language. Dr. Jordon, was the Dean of Gallaudet University, who became Deaf at age 21 after an accident. Corson, was the President of Louisiana residential school, who had been born Deaf. On March 6th 1988 the Board of Trustees announced its decision to appoint Elisabeth Zinser a hearing person at its seventh president. "Deaf people are not ready to function in a hearing world" is what Gallaudet University's Board of Trustees chairperson Jane Bassett Spilman is reported to have said the night Elisabeth Zinser was selected as president." (Gallaudet).

PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL ON DEAFNESS

POSITION OF THE STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF

OF GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY

*** The appointment of the new president of Gallaudet University has resulted in an OVERWHELMING vote of NO CONFIDENCE in the Board of Trustees!

DEMANDS

1) We demand that the Board of Trustees appoint one of the two deaf finalists as President, Gallaudet University... NOW!

2) We demand that Jane Basset Spilman resign from the Board immediately and that a deaf Board Member be elected as chairperson.

3) We demand that the Board initate the process of changing its By-Laws to conform with the C.O.E.D.'s reccomendations to Congress of a 51% deaf member representation on the Board of Trustees.

4) We demand that no student, staff or faculty member

of Gallaudet University be subject to any reprisals as a result of their standing on this matter.

11:30 am, March 7, 1988

Discontented with the Board of Trustees decision the students and their supporters closed down Gallaudet University. They barricade the campus gates and filled the air with cheers and chants and hundreds of hands signing their demands. The demands were as follows:

(Gallaudet)

Their four demands were brought to the Board of Trustees in a meeting that lasted over three hours; the board later announced that all four demands were rejected and