WASHINGTON, April 4, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — On April 8, 1864, when the United States was in the midst of Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln signed an Enabling Act, essentially a Congressional Charter, to allow a small school for deaf students in Northeast Washington, D.C., to confer college degrees. That school is now known as Gallaudet University and it remains as the only four-year liberal arts university in the world for deaf and hard of hearing students.
To commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the signing of its Charter, on Tuesday, April 8, 2014, Gallaudet will host a daylong Charter Day Festival which will include the grand opening of the Gallaudet University Museum’s exhibition, “Gallaudet at 150 and Beyond.”
Photo: Featured on glass panels, the photos, paintings, maps, and text will guide visitors through the rich history of Gallaudet, highlighting important people, including presidents, professors, students, and alumni, the development of university athletics, the university’s lasting legacy, and how it enhanced the overall quality of life for deaf and hard of hearing people around the world. (PRNewsFoto/Gallaudet University)
Gallaudet’s 150th Anniversary kicked off with an opening ceremony featuring the following events:
National Anthem performed in American Sign Language
Presentations by Gallaudet University President T. Alan Hurwitz and Provost Dr. Stephen Weiner
Reading of a statement from President Barack Obama
Reading of an official proclamation from District of Columbia Mayor Vincent Gray declaring April 8th as “Gallaudet University Day.”
Skit re-enacting the actual Senate floor debate over the enabling act.
A poetic narrative performance in American Sign Language “The Gallaudet Sesquicentennial Story”
Among the list of Gallaudet administrators and faculty available for interviews were:
President T. Alan Hurwitz: Prior to becoming president of Gallaudet University in 2010, Hurwitz was president of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) in Rochester, N.Y. He is past president of the National Association of the Deaf and the World Organization of Jewish Deaf. Hurwitz is currently chair of the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) Presidents’ Council, the first deaf person to hold this position in NEAC history. He also serves on the board of directors for the D.C. Chamber of Commerce.
Fred Weiner: Assistant Vice President, Administration. Mr. Weiner is responsible for the university’s local and Federal government relations, community relations and real estate development projects.
Actor Bernard Bragg was also selected as one of 15 visionary leaders highlighted during a 15-month long celebration of 150 years of visionary leadership by Gallaudet University in Washington, DC.
