Utah Deaf History and Culture
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  • Utah Deaf Biographies
    • Biographies of Prominent Utah Deaf Men
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    • Biographies of Prominent Utah Interpreters
    • Biographies of Deaf Latter-day Saint Leaders
    • Biographies of Utah Deaf Artists
    • Utah Deaf Model
  • Utah School for the Deaf
    • Utah School for the Deaf Archives
    • USD Student Strikes
    • Utah School for the Deaf Reunions
    • Jean Massieu School of the Deaf
    • Kenneth Burdett School of the Deaf
    • Brandon R. Hill: USDB Eagle Logo
    • JMS' 20th Anniversary Celebration
    • Elizabeth DeLong School of the Deaf
    • Videos of the USD Experiences
  • Sociology of the USD in the Utah Deaf Community
  • Deaf Education in Utah
    • Utah Oral Leaders
    • USDB Advisory Council & Instititional Council
    • Dr. Jay J. Campbell: 1977 USD Comprehensive Study
    • Jeffrey W. Pollock: Utah Deaf Education Controversy
    • Videos of Dr. Grant B. Bitter
    • Dr. Robert G. Sanderson's Mainstreaming Persepctive
    • Dr. Robert G. Sanderson's Dream
    • ASL & LSL Controversy Correspondence
    • Minnie Mae Wilding-Diaz - Co-founder of Jean Massieu School
  • Utah Association of the Deaf
    • UAD's Brief History
    • UAD Bulletins/Awards/Logos
    • House Bill 60: Terms Associated With the Deaf Community
  • National Fraternal Society of the Deaf
  • Robert G. Sanderson Community Center
    • Directors of the Sanderson Community Center
    • Robert G. Sanderson's Honoring Ceremony - 2003
    • W. David Mortensen's Honoring Ceremony - 2014
    • Sanderson Center's 25th Anniversary Celebration
    • Sanderson Center's 30th Anniversary
  • Gallaudet University (Utah Connection)
    • Ronald C. Burdett's Gallaudet Honoring Ceremony, 2016
  • Utah Interpreting Service
    • Beth Ann Campbell, 1st RID Interpreter
    • UIP's 30th Anniversary
  • Deaf Latter-day Saints Community
    • Deaf LDS History Researchers
  • Utah Deaf Sports
  • Utah Deaf Organizations
  • Miss Deaf Utah Pageant
  • Sego Lily Center for the Abused Deaf
  • Utah Senior Deaf Citizens
  • Vocational Training Programs
  • Utah Deaf Technology
  • Utah Deaf Women's History
  • The Early Utah Women's History
  • Black Deaf Lives Matter (Utah Connection)
  • Sanderson Community Center Museum
  • Utah Deaf Films
  • Utah Deaf Ski Archives
  • George Sutherland Archives
  • Deaf World Library and Museum
  • Parker Holt, Gallaudet Award
  • Contact & Copyright Permission

Utah Association of the Deaf Bulletins 


All of the Utah Association of the Deaf Bulletins, dating back to 1954, have been uploaded to the Utah Association of the Deaf website and are now viewable. Check it out by clicking here! 

Rob Kerr deserves credit for scanning the UAD Bulletins. 

Philippe Montalette and Stephen Persinger are to be commended for compiling and maintaining a file of UAD Bulletins. 

Enjoy!

​Jodi Becker Kinner 

The Utah Association of the Deaf Awards 

​I've compiled a list of persons who have earned the President's Award and the Golden Hand Award after browsing through the hard copy of UAD Bulletins. Please note, though, that some of the name may be missing. I should be able to find data accuracy once our UAD Bulletins are digitized and posted to internet archives. As of now, I've done the best I could with the names and years. So, enjoy! 

President's Award 

The President's Award recognizes individuals or organizations who have excelled in their work or achievements. The president of the Utah Association of the Deaf makes the final decision. 

I have compiled a list of names who have earned the President's Award after browsing through the physical copy of UAD Bulletins. Please note that some of the name may be missing. I should be able to find data accuracy once our UAD Bulletins are digitized and submitted to the website archives. As far as I can tell, I've put the names and years together as best I could. So, have fun with it!

The Recipients of the President's Award 

  • Tim Funk, 1987 
  • Madelaine Perkins, 1991 
  • John (Jack) F. White, 1991 
  • Rodney W. Walker, 1991
  • Gene D. Stewart, 1991 
  • W. David Mortensen, 1991 
  • Barbara Bass, 1993
  • Kenneth L. Kinner, 1993
  • Jane Bell, 1993
  • Lynn Losee, 1993
  • W. David Mortensen, 1993
  • Mary Sanderson, 1993
  • Robert G. Sanderson, 1993
  • Shirley H. Platt, 1993
  • Ann Thatcher, 1993
  • Patricia Walker, 1993
  • Lloyd L. Perkins, 1993
  • Eleanor McCowan, 2002
  • Peter M. Green, 2002
  • Rod Fifield Sprint, 2002
  • Utah Basketball Team Utah Women’s Camp, 2002
  • USDB Academic Bowl Team, 2003
  • Joe Zeidner, 2004
  • Osmond Crosby, 2004 
  • Jodi Becker Kinner, 2009
  • Valerie G. Kinney, 2011 
  • Sego Lily Center for the Abused Deaf, 2013
  • Adele Sigoda, 2015
  • ASL Communication (Interpreter Agency), 2017
  • Ronald Nelson, 2019 

​Golden Hand Award ​

The "Golden Hand Award" is the highest honor bestowed by the Utah Association of the Deaf (UAD). This award recognizes individuals or groups who have excelled in their work or accomplishments. The Golden Hand Committee decides on this honor after receiving nominations from the Utah Deaf community. Furthermore, the Golden Hand Award is given every two years to an individual or group that has made a significant contribution to the betterment of Utah's Deaf community. 

The Golden Hand Award was established by the National Association of the Deaf in the past. They have urged state associations to establish a Golden Hand Award in their respective states. It was not established until 1979, as indicated below, by UAD. 

The Golden Hand Award is based on the following criteria:​

  • Any individual or organization that has made a substantial contribution to the improvement of the Utah Deaf community may be nominated.
  • Individuals must not have received pay for the volunteer work. Organizations must not have paid individuals to do volunteer work.
  • Programs under an agency with a paid staff may be nominated, but the extent of salaried activities must be clearly indicated on the nomination statement.
  • Volunteer activities must have been performed within the state of Utah.
  • Screening committee members may not submit nominations.
  • Individuals and groups may submit as many separate nominations as desired.

The Recipients of the Golden Hand Award

  • W. David Mortensen, 1979
  • Robert G. Sanderson, 1979 
  • Valerie G. Platt, 1981
  • St. Mary Magdalene Club for the Deaf, 1983
  • Lloyd L. Perkins, 1985
  • Celia May Laramie Baldwin, 1987
  • Beth Ann Campbell, 1989
  • Peter M. Green, 1991
  • Rodney W. Walker, 1993
  • Lucy M. Greenwood, 1995
  • Robert J. Welsh, 1997
  • Mae Wilding Diaz, Jeff J. Allen and UDEAL, 1999 
  • Barbara A. Bass, 2002
  • Dennis R. Platt, 2004
  • Sorenson Communications, 2007
  • Association of Deaf Children, 2009
  • Jodi Becker Kinner, 2013 
  • Philippe Montalette, 2015
  • Marilyn T. Call, 2017
  • Joene Nicholaisen, 2017
  • Stephanie Lowder Mathis, 2017
  • Justin Anderson, 2017
  • Michelle Tanner, 2019,
  • Joel Coleman, 2019
  • ​Pamela Mower, 2019
  • Matt Willahan, 2019

Logo of the Utah Association of the Deaf

​Since 1975, the Utah Association for the Deaf had used the same logo designed by W. David Mortensen's brother, Don Mortensen (hearing). On June 8, 1975, a new proposed logo design was presented to the UAD board of directors. The design received unanimous approval. The Board of Directors voted to accept it as the official seal and logo (UAD Bulletin, June 1975, p. 3).

​The logo's wrap-around arrows rotate, symbolizing the UAD's ongoing continuation. Blue seems to have been chosen because of the 1950s Utah School for the Deaf and Blind colors. In order to be visible, one arrow is tinted lighter blue A beehive symbolizes the organization's and its members' hard work (2005 UAD General Conference Minutes).

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​The beehive with the bees in the center of the logo is similar to the Utah state seal.

State of Utah Motto 

"Industry" officially became the state motto on March 4, 1959. Industry is associated with the symbol of the beehive. The early pioneers had few material resources at their disposal and therefore had to rely on their own industry to survive. The word "industry" appears on both the State Seal and the State Flag.

State of Utah Emblem 

The beehive also became the official state emblem on March 4, 1959. Utahns relate the beehive symbol to industry and the pioneer virtues of thrift and perseverance.

The UAD emblem was slightly altered in 2009 to commemorate the association's 100th anniversary. The name "Utah Association for the Deaf" was changed from black to white, as shown in the accompanying photo (Valerie Kinney, personal communication, February 19, 2012).

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After watching the California School for the Deaf, Fremont's vlog about their new symbol designed by a Deaf person with the local Deaf community's engagement ideas, UAD had chosen to give Utah's Deaf artists a chance to design the UAD's logo. In addition, several Deaf people approached UAD, expressing their desire for a Deaf person to design the logo. 

At the 2013 UAD Conference, UAD unveiled the new logo designed by Deaf artist James Smith, who was chosen as a finalist by the UAD Board and its members after a logo election chaired by Ellen O'Hara. His objective in designing was to:

"With the sun rising over the Wasatch front, UAD welcomes the second century with ambition and passion in continuing the legacy of excellence as it has been since 1909." 

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Over time, the Utah Deaf community members expressed interest in a new logo that reflects the Utah Deaf community to various UAD Board members. As a result, UAD decided to design and release a new logo at the same time as the new UAD website was launched. After conducting various surveys, the UAD members agreed on the "Delicate Arch" logo as the best representation of Utah. The "Delicate Arch" is the most famous in Utah's Arches National Park. "Delicate Arches" is another name for "Bridges." The UAD Board also regarded the "Delicate Arch" logo as an excellent approach to represent UAD's role as a "bridge" for the Deaf community to come together, advocate for our needs, and educate others about our culture and language.

Brandon Bowden, a Deaf artist and member of the UAD Board, came up with the new logo. It was unveiled at the 2019 UAD Conference (Pamela Mower, personal communication, September 23, 2019).


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Under the leadership of UAD President Kim Lucas, a discussion about the Utah Association of the Deaf logo arose due to issues with the design and how it was not formatted correctly. One of the corners of the state line in the logo, for example, was not linked when examined closely. Another example is the readability of the name of the association. To read the vertical writing, you'd have to strain your neck.
 
The UAD Board agreed to hold off on unveiling the new logo until the 2021 UAD Conference, out of respect for the previous administration's efforts.  
 
Throughout President Lucas' service at UAD, numerous different versions of the new logo were presented to the board, each with significant changes. It was also recognized that the Arch symbol did not represent all of Utah because it was located in the south-central part of the state. After hours of searching, it was decided that the image of mountains best suited the concept. It was unanimously voted as the replacement after several changes to the font and adding the line "Est. 1909" to the logo. It was subsequently introduced at the 2021 Conference, where many people were captivated by it and expressed a desire to purchase t-shirts bearing the new logo. The logo was designed as a team effort by the entire board, with Ben Smith putting it all together at the end (Martin Price, personal communication, February 16, 2022). 

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