Utah Deaf History and Culture
  • Home
  • Beginning of the Utah Deaf History Project
  • Why the Website?
  • Special Thanks
  • Editors & Testimonials
  • Biographies of Prominent Deaf Individuals in Utah
    • Biographies of Prominent Utah Deaf Men
    • Biographies of Prominent Utah Deaf Women
    • Biographies of Prominent Utah Interpreters
    • Biographies of Utah Deaf Artists
    • Eleanor Kay Kinner Curtis, ​the Utah Deaf Model
  • History of the ​Utah School for the Deaf
    • The Utah School for the ​ ​Deaf Archives
    • Wayne E. Stewart's Photos ​of the Utah School for the Deaf ​& the Utah Deaf Community
    • The 1976 and 1984 Utah School for the Deaf Reunions
    • History of the Jean Massieu School ​of the Deaf
    • History of the Kenneth Burdett School of the Deaf
    • Brandon R. Hill, a Deaf Designer of the Eagle Logo of the Utah School for the Deaf
    • Jean Massieu School of the Deaf's 20th Anniversary Celebration
    • History of the Elizabeth DeLong School of the Deaf
    • Amanda Tolle Wolfe, a Deaf Designer of the Phoenix Mascot of the ​​Elizabeth School of the Deaf
    • Videos of the Experiences Growing Up at theUtah School for the Deaf ​and/or Public School
  • Deaf Education History in Utah
    • Dr. Grant B. Bitter, the Father of Mainstreaming & A Collection of ​Dr. Bitter's Videos
    • The Impact of the Oral Leaders Within and Outside of Utah
    • Students Strike Over the Oral and Sign Language Segregation Policy at the Utah School for the Deaf ​in 1962 and 1969
    • Dr. Jay J. Campbell's 1977 Comprehensive Study ​of Deaf Education in Utah
    • Jeffrey W. Pollock: The Utah Deaf Education Controversy: Total Communication 
Versus Oralism ​at the University of Utah
    • ​​Dr. Robert G. Sanderson: "Mainstreaming Is Not the Answer for All Deaf Children"
    • Dr. Robert G. Sanderson's Dream for an Equal Deaf Education System
    • The Controversial Parallel Correspondence Between American Sign Language ​and Listening & Spoken Language
    • Minnie Mae Wilding-Diaz, ​Co-Founder of the Jean Massieu School of the Deaf
    • The Deaf Representatives ​on the Advisory Council of the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind
  • Sociology of the Utah School for the Deaf ​in the Utah Deaf Community, 1890-1970
  • History of the Utah Association of the Deaf Conventions/Conferences and Its Officers
    • ​A Brief History of the ​Utah Association of the Deaf
    • The Utah Association of the Deaf Bulletins/Awards/Logos
    • House Bill 60: Changing the Term from 'Hearing Impaired' ​to the 'Deaf and Hard of Hearing'
  • History of the National Fraternal ​Society of the Deaf
  • History of the Robert G. Sanderson Community Center of the Deaf & Hard of Hearing
    • The Directors of the Robert G. Sanderson Community Center ​of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
    • Dr. Robert G. Sanderson's ​2003 Honorary Ceremony
    • W. David Mortensen's 2014 Honorary Ceremony
    • Robert G. Sanderson Community Center's 25th Anniversary Celebration
    • Robert G. Sanderson Community Center's 30th Anniversary Celebration
  • Utah's Connection to ​Gallaudet University History
    • Ronald C. Burdett, a Utah Native and Gallaudet Graduate of 1970, Honors at the Sorenson Communication, Inc. Naming Ceremony
    • Dr. I. King Jordan, the First Deaf President of Gallaudet University, Visits Utah
  • The History of Interpreting Services in Utah
    • Beth Ann Stewart Campbell Holds the Distinction of Being the First ​Nationally Certified Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) Interpreter in Utah and the United States
    • The Utah Interpreting Program celebrates its 30th Anniversary
  • History of the Deaf Latter-day ​Saints Community of ​The Church of Jesus Christ ​of Latter-day Saints
    • Anne Leahy and Doug Stringham, ​History Researchers of the Deaf Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
  • The History of Utah Deaf Sports
  • Deaf Organizations in Utah
  • History of the ​Miss Deaf Utah Pageant
  • History of the Sego Lily Center for the Abused Deaf
  • Utah Senior Deaf Citizens
  • History of the Vocational Education Programs at the Utah School for the Deaf
  • The History of ​Utah Deaf Technology
  • Outstanding Resilience Contributed to the Success of Utah's Deaf Women's History
  • Outstanding Contributions in the ​Early History of Utah's Deaf and Non-Deaf Women
  • Utah's Connection to Black Deaf History
  • The Utah Deaf History Museum at the Robert G. Sanderson Community Center ​
  • Films Created by the ASL Community in Utah
  • Utah Deaf Ski Archive
  • The Utah Deaf History Collection at UVU's George Sutherland Archives
  • Parker Holt's Gallaudet Pre-Law Writing Award for Focusing on Utah's Laws That Impact ​the Utah Deaf Community
  • Utah Deaf History YouTube channel
  • Contact & Copyright Permission

Special Thanks 


Special thanks to my father-in-law, Kenneth L. Kinner, for opening the gates to Utah’s rich Deaf history.
 
Special thanks to Jay Thexton, a devout genealogist, for unlocking my hidden passion for genealogy and history, which I never knew existed. 
 
Special thanks to three Deaf authors, Kenneth C. Burdett, Rodney W. Walker, and Dr. Robert G. Sanderson, for collecting, writing, and preserving Utah Deaf History. 
 
Special thanks to Anne Leahy and Doug Stringham for their extensive research on Deaf history in relation to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the early history of the Utah School for the Deaf.
 
Special thanks to David Samuelsen, an amateur historian and genealogist, for his direction and guidance while working on the Utah Deaf History. Likewise to Anne Leahy and Doug Stringham. 
 
Special thanks to Lisa Richards and Kleda Barker Quigley for their valuable guidance and support in this potential project. 
 
Special thanks to Eleanor McCowan for requesting that I work on the Utah Deaf History project. If not for her request, none of this would have happened.
 
Special thanks to Dr. Robert G. Sanderson for inspiring me to do my homework to make this project happen.  

Picture
Students of the Utah School for the Deaf, spring 1945. They were going on the annual spring hike

Special thanks to Dr. Robert G. Sanderson and Valerie G. Kinney for collecting and saving the newspapers containing the history of the Utah Deaf community. 

Special thanks to W. David Mortensen for his enthusiastic support of this project. 

Special thanks to my colleague, Julie Smith, for helping me "unstick my stuck" in the writing and thinking processes.

Special thanks to Robert Kerr for donating his time to scanning the UAD Bulletins collected by Valerie G. Kinney, which contain a wealth of historical information regarding the Utah Deaf community. 

Special thanks to Minnie Mae Wilding-Diaz for donating her time to revise and edit some of the manuscripts. 
  
Special thanks to Helen Salas-McCarty for carefully editing some of my manuscripts and providing detailed advice. 

Picture
Students at the Utah School for the Deaf in March 1952

Special thanks to Bronwyn O'Hara for editing some of my manuscripts with enthusiasm and dedication.

Special thanks to Valerie G. Kinney, the most trusted and reliable person, for providing supportive advice through consultation and proofreading/editing the manuscripts. 

Special thanks to Doug Stringham for sharing the version of the book with Dr. Bryan K. Eldredge and making a senior-level "special topics" class called "Deaf Education in Utah" possible at Utah Valley University in 2011 and again in 2016.

Special thanks to Robert L. Bonnell for his patience in letting me borrow his box of photos, program books, and Utah Eagle magazines.

Special thanks to Linda Berness for collecting and donating the obituaries and funeral programs of the members of the Utah Deaf Community. 

Picture
Students at the Utah School for the Deaf with their teacher, Kenneth C. Burdett in 1953-54

Special thanks to Marion Brown West, Kleda Barker Quigley, Kenneth Lee Kinner, Ilene Coles Kinner, and Keith Stewart for identifying names and years from the photos.

Special thanks to Celia May Laramie Baldwin for her constant support and guidance throughout the project, which included exchanging several emails about my Utah Deaf History Project.

Special thanks to Jennifer "Jen" Young Leeds for proofreading my work, making suggestions, and looking up newspaper articles for me. 

Special thanks to Duane L. Kinner, technology savvy, for scanning hundreds of documents and photographs for the "Utah Deaf History" website.
 
Last but not least, special thanks to Philippe Montalette, then Utah Association of the Deaf president, for his support in making this a reality. 

Ultimately, much appreciation goes to Duane L. Kinner, my spouse, and my children, Joshua and Danielle, for their support and patience in working on the Utah Deaf History.

Jodi Christel Becker 

Picture
Students at the Utah School for the Deaf with their teacher, Afton Curtis Burdett in 1953-54

"The more you know of your history, 
​the more liberated you are."
​~Maya Angelou~

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