Superintendents of the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind

Superintendents of the
Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind

The Utah School for the Deaf was established in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1884. Henry C. White, a Deaf individual and Gallaudet College graduate, served as the school's principal and a teacher. The position of superintendent was not created until 1889 when Frank W. Metcalf, a hearing individual, became the first superintendent.

Henry C. White. Source: The Utah Eagle, February 1922

After Utah became a state in 1896, the school relocated to Ogden, where the Utah School for the Blind was also established. Since that time, the schools for the Deaf and Blind have been combined.

The USDB shared the same campus since 1896. In 1969, the campus for the blind was located at 7th Street and Harrison Boulevard, while the campus for the deaf was situated at 20th Street and Monroe Avenue. The Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind collectively referred to both schools, but they began operating on separate campuses in 1969.

Frank W. Metcalf

In 1993, the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind merged into a single entity due to low enrollment at the Deaf school, a trend caused by mainstreaming. This consolidation took place at the corner of 7th Street and Harrison Boulevard. After the merger, the Ogden City School District assumed control of the former Deaf school campus located at 20th Street and Monroe Avenue, which remains visible today.

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Below is a list of the USDB superintendents over the years.

Frank W. Metcalf: 1889-1901

Frank M. Driggs: 1901-1941