Photo: Drs. John S. and Betty J. Schuchman
Gallaudet University received a major gift from Dr. John S. Schuchman and his wife Dr. Betty J. Schuchman to create an endowed fund supporting documentary study, production and presentation. In their honor, the Center for Deaf Documentary Studies is now renamed the Drs. John S. and Betty J. Schuchman Deaf Documentary Center. “This gift is a tremendous show of support,” remarked Dr. Brian Greenwald, director of the Center, “We are deeply grateful to the Schuchmans for investing in Gallaudet students and supporting documentary work on deaf history and contemporary life.”
Dr. Schuchman, known as “Stan” to many on the Gallaudet campus, is Professor Emeritus of History, a former Department Chair, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost who has made significant contributions to the field of deaf history. The son of deaf parents, he grew up surrounded by deaf people and began historical research with a personal understanding of deaf community connections.
Schuchman’s study of the portrayal of deaf people in film resulted in publication of his groundbreaking 1988 book Hollywood Speaks: Deafness and the Film Entertainment Industry. This work draws parallels between the way Hollywood films have characterized deaf people and representations of other marginalized groups. In the book, Schuchman critiques how films reinforce false narratives such as curing deafness or gaining speech via traumatic events.
In 1988 Schuchman worked with multiple collaborators to bring together scholars on the Holocaust with deaf survivors. A conference co-hosted by Gallaudet University and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum resulted in documented first-hand accounts of the experiences of survivors. With co-editor the late Dr. Donna F. Ryan, a Gallaudet history professor, Schuchman compiled and contributed to Deaf People in Hitler’s Europe, a book published by Gallaudet University Press. In it Schuchman detailed brutally difficult life for Hungarian deaf Jewish people and analyzed the 1932 German deaf-made film Misjudged People (Verkannte Menschen). The book sheds light on deaf perspectives and eyewitness accounts to a time when deaf humanity was at risk.
Photo: Dr. John S. Schuchman. Courtesy of Gallaudet University Library Deaf Collections and Archives.
Photo: Drs. John S. and Betty J. Schuchman. Courtesy of Gallaudet University Library Deaf Collections and Archives.
“BJ and I established this endowed fund to support documentary work grounded in Deaf history. Coming from a deaf family, I recognized the need to document injustices that deaf people faced and fought against. We have spent our personal and professional lives among deaf people and have great affection for Gallaudet University. We believe that the Center is the right vehicle to pursue scholarship in Deaf history and documentary work and that sharing stories is one way to address injustice.” -Dr. John S. Schuchman
The Center’s mission to educate students in the documentary arts, explore the lives of deaf people, and cultivate awareness of human diversity through shared fieldwork, stories and scholarship remains the same. The Center forms networks on campus and with external collaborators, offering students learning opportunities in the documentary process in film, exhibitions, and written narrative.
Gallaudet Provost Dr. Carol Erting commented, “This generous gift from the Schuchman’s will provide our students with the opportunity to better understand their rich heritage, to learn from deaf people who have gone before them, and to share with the world stories that teach us all about the deaf community’s resiliency, creativity, and commitment to building a better future in the face of misunderstanding and injustice.”
Over the past year, the Center’s team has hosted a panel discussion called “Life Before Captions: Deaf NYC Stories,” assisted with an Introduction to Documentary Film course, worked to develop an exhibition on the contributions of deaf men to early space flight, conducted filmed interviews, collaborated with filmmakers and academic departments, hosted film screenings, and offered a public event focused preservation of cultural-historic collections.
Published on January 12, 201
