History of the
Elizabeth DeLong School of the Deaf
Written by Jodi Becker Kinner
Published in 2019
Updated in 2024
Published in 2019
Updated in 2024
History of School Naming
The Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (USDB) invited suggestions from the Utah Deaf community to name their new Deaf school, a beacon of our community, located on the USDB campus in Springville, Utah. The Associate Superintendent, Michelle Tanner, received several nominations, the most popular being Elizabeth DeLong. Elizabeth, a trailblazer, graduated from the Utah School for the Deaf in 1897 and then went on to graduate from Gallaudet College in 1902. She was a teacher at her alma mater and the first Deaf female president of the Utah Association of the Deaf. I wrote her biography for the Better Days 2020 website, which deeply moved Nathan Harrison, the Assistant Director of the Jean Massieu School of the Deaf at the time. He proposed renaming the school in her honor. USDB Administrators, the Utah State Board of Education, and the USDB Advisory Council unanimously approved this proposal (Michelle Tanner, personal communication, February 8, 2024).
In October 2019, the Utah School for the Deaf announced the opening of a new school called the "Elizabeth DeLong School of the Deaf" in honor of Elizabeth DeLong, also known as "Libbie." The school began operating on January 6, 2020, to continue her legacy. Libbie was likely motivated by the early suffrage movement in Utah to pursue her academic, political, and spiritual aspirations, and she achieved several firsts, including becoming the first female president of the Utah Association of the Deaf, which made her a significant trailblazer. With the new school named in her honor, Libbie is undoubtedly looking down on us from above with a smile.
Thanks to Nathan Harrison for compiling the material to nominate Elizabeth DeLong and Michelle Tanner for preparing to present Nathan's proposal to the Utah State Board of Education and USDB Advisory Council for approval.
Jodi Becker Kinner
Jodi Becker Kinner
A Short Biography of Elizabeth DeLong
The Utah Deaf community proudly honors Elizabeth DeLong, also known as "Libbie," for her many accomplishments. Despite losing her hearing at the age of five due to scarlet fever and smallpox, she persevered and enrolled at the Utah School for the Deaf at 14. She learned American Sign Language there and became a prominent figure in the Utah Deaf community.
Libbie was an exceptional trailblazer who made significant contributions to the Utah Deaf community. She accomplished many firsts in Utah and broke down numerous barriers, including becoming the first female president of the Utah Association of the Deaf. She worked tirelessly to advocate for the Deaf community in Utah, and we are privileged to have her as our leader.
Take a look at the following list of Libbie's firsts.
Libbie was an accomplished woman who served as President of the Utah Association of the Deaf from 1909 to 1915. During her second term as President, she delivered a speech at the UAD Convention advocating for women's suffrage. Her presidency of Gallaudet's O.W.L.S. and her involvement in Utah's early suffrage movement likely inspired her to pursue leadership roles as well as her educational, political, and spiritual aspirations.
Today, Libbie's accomplishments continue to inspire people, and she remains the first woman to achieve many of her goals. Utah is fortunate to have had her leadership role in the Utah Deaf community.
Libbie was an exceptional trailblazer who made significant contributions to the Utah Deaf community. She accomplished many firsts in Utah and broke down numerous barriers, including becoming the first female president of the Utah Association of the Deaf. She worked tirelessly to advocate for the Deaf community in Utah, and we are privileged to have her as our leader.
Take a look at the following list of Libbie's firsts.
- Libbie made history in 1897 by becoming the first Deaf student from the Utah School for the Deaf to attend Gallaudet College. Five years later, in 1902, she became the first Deaf woman from Utah to earn a bachelor's degree, making her the first person in her family to graduate from college.
- Her achievements didn't stop there. Libbie was the first Deaf teacher with a degree to teach at the Utah School for the Deaf. Additionally, she became the first Deaf female superintendent of the Sunday School at the Ogden Branch for the Deaf. In 1909, she made history again by becoming the first Deaf female president of the Utah Association of the Deaf, defeating two Deaf male candidates. It's worth noting that this happened before the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote, was passed into law in 1920. It's also important to mention that Deaf women were not allowed to vote in the National Association of the Deaf elections until 1965.
- Finally, Libbie was the first Deaf woman to serve as president of a state chapter of the National Association of the Deaf in the United States. Her accomplishments are a testament to her determination and hard work, and she is an inspiration to all.
Libbie was an accomplished woman who served as President of the Utah Association of the Deaf from 1909 to 1915. During her second term as President, she delivered a speech at the UAD Convention advocating for women's suffrage. Her presidency of Gallaudet's O.W.L.S. and her involvement in Utah's early suffrage movement likely inspired her to pursue leadership roles as well as her educational, political, and spiritual aspirations.
Today, Libbie's accomplishments continue to inspire people, and she remains the first woman to achieve many of her goals. Utah is fortunate to have had her leadership role in the Utah Deaf community.
More information on Elizabeth DeLong
can be found by clicking on the following links
can be found by clicking on the following links
The Utah School for the Deaf, Dumb, and Blind, as it was called back then, was featured in the Ogden Daily Standard on December 20, 1902. The staff members were, from top to bottom, L-R: Albert Talage, Catherine King, Elizabeth DeLong, Superintendent Frank M. Driggs (Center), Sarah Whalen, E.S. Henne, and Max W. Woodbury