Lance Fischer
Privy To Nation’s Hidden Documents
Lance Fischer did not plan to become an archivist after he graduated from Gallaudet University in 1971. It just happened that way. And despite this unplanned beginning 27 years later he is still happily digging into secrets that has helped make USA grow into a vibrant nation.
Lance, educated first at PS 47 School for the Deaf in New York City, graduated from Fanwood and entered Gallaudet still a kid at the age of 16. After graduating from Gallaudet in 1971, armed with a degree in History, Lance planned to become a teacher at a school for the deaf.
Many career plans get sidetracked; the National Archives and Records Administration surprised Lance with a job offer as an archivist.
Lance accepted it, thinking it would be temporary job while waiting for his future wife, Kitty, to graduate from Gallaudet. Because he liked his job so much, his teaching plans were abandoned.
A question was asked of Lance “What are your primary duties as an archivist? Lance said Ill arrange, describe, preserve and make available federal records for the public.”
Is Lance the only deaf archivist around, asides from two full time deaf archivists at the Gallaudet library (Ulf Hedberg and Mike Olson)? Lance said he is the only ASL-speaking archivist around; there are other hard of hearing archivists around. There are also several other deaf archives technicians, a notch below the archivist position.
Lance has come across deaf-related material in his years of work. “By my own search and by luck,” he said. While working on a project on women’s history, he came across some deaf history material by luck. many discoveries have been fascinating,” Lance went on.
A big thrill was locating the only known photograph of Amos Kendall, whose estate is where the Gallaudet campus is located! Sadly, Lance also came across Kendall’s bankruptcy proceedings when the Kendall Estate was almost lost to foreclosure. What would have happened to Gallaudet had Kendall lost his land is pretty much left to speculation.
An interesting Kendall lead-in, Lance discovered was when a guardian was guilty of mistreating five deaf children, thus giving Kendall custody of them.
How much did Gallaudet President Percival Hall earn in 1946? Lance knows ($4800 per year). How much did much beloved math teacher Leon Auerbach, a campus legend, earn that year too? Lance also knows (a princely sum of $1800).
This is only the tip of the iceberg, as Lance has uncovered more and more deaf-related material over the years – patent files of deaf inventors; letters of complaints by the deaf in depression years on being excluded from recovery programs; deaf Japanese Americans forced to relocate in World War I I years, etc.
Lance has also handled many presidential papers from Lincoln to JFK, but also including Franklin D. Roosevelt.
What were Lance’s proudest accomplishments? “Three of them” he said. First was organizing a Gallaudet exhibit in the late seventies; second was working on the papers of Edward M. Gallaudet, the first president of Gallaudet, and lastly, winning the Thomas Jefferson Award from the Society of History in the Federal Government.
Any advice for young deaf wanting to become an archivist? Lance said “I am paid to be nosy. If you like history and enjoy working with records, then you should consider archives as a career.”
