Utah Deaf History and Culture
  • Home
  • Beginning of the Project
  • Why the Website?
  • Special Thanks
  • Testimonials & Reviews
  • Editors
  • Utah Deaf Biographies
    • Biographies of Prominent Utah Deaf Men
    • Biographies of Prominent Utah Deaf Women
    • 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
    • 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
  • Deaf Education in Utah
    • Utah Oral Leaders
    • USDB Advisory Council & Instititional Council
    • Dr. Jay J. Campbell - 1977 USD Comprehension 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
    • Minnie Mae Wilding-Diaz - Co-founder of Jean Massieu School
    • Deaf Child's Language Development
  • Utah Association of the Deaf
    • A Brief History of UAD
    • UAD Bulletins
    • UAD Conferences/Officers
    • UAD Logo
    • UAD Awards
    • 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 25th Anniversary Celebration
  • Gallaudet University (Utah Connection)
    • Ronald C. Burdett's Gallaudet Honoring Ceremony - 2016
  • Utah Interpreting Service
    • Beth Ann Campbell, 1st RID Interpreter
  • Deaf Latter-Day Saints
    • Deaf LDS History Researchers
  • Utah Deaf Sports
  • Utah Deaf Organizations
  • Miss Deaf Utah Ambassadorship Program
  • Sego Lily Center for the Abused Deaf
  • Utah Deaf Clubs
  • Utah Senior Deaf Citizens
  • Vocational Training Programs
  • Utah Deaf Technology
  • Utah Deaf Women's History
  • Accolades of 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
  • Copyright Permission
  • Contact

USDB Advisory Council &
Institutional Council


Compiled & Written by Jodi B. Kinner
Edited by Bronwyn O’Hara & Valerie G. Kinney
2013 

PictureW. David Mortensen
Repeated Requests by the Deaf Community Were Ignored

Ned C. Wheeler, a deaf person, served on the Governor’s Advisory Council for the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (USDB) from 1968 until his death in 1981. A hearing person was appointed, despite a request by the Utah Association for the Deaf (UAD) that a Deaf person be appointed in Ned’s place. The Utah Deaf community explained the importance of being represented by a Deaf person, not a hearing person, on the five-member Governor’s Advisory Council. Despite their repeated requests, they were ignored.

In 1984, the UAD asked Utah Governor, Scott Matheson, to appoint a Deaf person to the Institutional Council of the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind. Instead of giving them an answer, Governor Matheson referred them to the Utah State Board of Education (USBE). The state board’s answer was that they would consider their request when a vacancy occurred on the Council (Mortensen, UAD Bulletin, June 1985); nothing more. Because this issue was so important, UAD President Dave Mortensen requested a meeting in February 1984 with State Superintendent of Public Instruction, G. Leland Burningham. Mortenson’s aim was to gain assurances that the Deaf community would be represented. He did not get a letter from Dr. Burningham until April of that year (Dabling, The Salt Lake Tribune, May 24, 1984) and learned what had been the Governor’s Advisory Council for USDB would now be the Institutional Council. On May 23, 1984, Mortensen objected to the Utah State Board of Education concerning the composition of the Institutional Council because there was no deaf representation on it. His point? “There was a deaf member [Ned C. Wheeler] on the [former] Governor’s Council, but after Wheeler died, a hearing person was named in his place. Wouldn’t you think that a deaf person should have been named to fill the vacancy of a deaf member….?” (Dabling, The Salt Lake Tribune, May 24, 1984). 

In April 1985, a new member of the Institutional Council was appointed and that person was not deaf. Despite the Council’s request for submissions from the Utah Deaf community, two Deaf persons who applied were turned down. This greatly upset the Deaf community. President Mortensen said, “What does this mean….? That we are back where we started from [in] 1970 and that we are being subdued once again and cast aside as “handicapped beings” that really can’t be part of the decision-making apparatus when it comes to deciding what is good for the Deaf community” (Mortensen, UAD Bulletin, June 1985).

One year later, in March 1986, the UAD wrote an official letter to Governor Norm Bangerter and Bernarr Furse, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, requesting that a Deaf person be appointed to the Institutional Council. Nothing happened. Five months later, on August 3, 1986, President Mortensen spoke up again to the USDB Institutional Council by saying, “We have been to the State Board of Education; we have met with Bernarr. We [the Utah Deaf community] were concerned that a deaf person was not on the Institutional Council.” President Mortensen explained, “We told Bernarr our concerns and Bernarr understood the problem but it was as far as he went. There was a vacancy coming up. It seems to me like we had some deaf people who applied” (Auer, The Salt Lake Tribune, August 3, 1986).

Superintendent Furse had no recollection of getting such a request. He said, “I’m not aware of such request. Whether there are any board members that were asked, I do not know. All I can say is I get hundreds of letters.” He also stated, “It’s very difficult to get all the groups who feel they should have a voice adequately represented.” Darrell McCarty, an associate state superintendent, said, “Everyone has the right to make recommendations (Auer, The Salt Lake Tribune, August 3, 1986). However, the Deaf community maintained that, time after time, their requests had been ignored.

1986 was an important year because it saw UAD President Mortensen work hard with the state legislature to pass a law mandating two deaf persons being guaranteed seats on the USDB Institutional Council (UAD Bulletin, November 1999). The first two Deaf individuals to be appointed on the Institutional Council were Dr. Robert G. Sanderson and Dennis Platt. They took their seats in 1987.


​Deaf People Who have Served on the USDB
Advisory Council / Institutional Council
PictureRay G. Wenger

Ray G. Wenger, USD alumnus of 1913, served on the USDB Governor’s Advisory Council from 1945 to 1968. 



PictureNed C. Wheeler

Ned C. Wheeler, USD alumnus of 1933, served on the USDB Governor’s Advisory Council from 1968 to 1981. The Governor’s Advisory Council changed its name to the USDB Institutional Council in 1981. Ned had served as chairman during part of his tenure.



PictureDr. Robert G. Sanderson

Dr. Robert G. Sanderson, USD alumnus of 1936, served on the USDB Institutional Council from 1990-2004. He served as chairman during part of his tenure.


PictureDennis Platt

Dennis Platt served on the USDB Institutional Council from 1987-1990 and 1995 to 2008. He had served as chairman during part of his tenure.


PictureJodi Becker Kinner

Jodi Becker Kinner served on the USDB Institutional Council from 2004 to 2008. The Institutional Council was renamed to the USDB Advisory Council in 2009. She was reappointed in 2008 and served until 2010.


PictureScot Ferre

Scot Ferre served on the USDB Advisory Council from 2008 to 2013.


PictureJeff W. Pollock

Jeffrey W. Pollock served on the USDB Advisory Council from 2011 to 2013.



PictureDan V. Mathis

Dan V. Mathis served on the USDB Advisory Council from 2013 to 2016.  



PictureErika Smith

Erika Smith served on the USDB Advisory Council from 2013 to 2014. 



PictureJared Allebest

Jared Allebest was appointed on the Advisory Council from 2015 to to 2017. 


PictureStephanie Morgan
       
​Stephanie Morgan, as a Deaf Education teacher, was appointed on the Advisory Council from 2015 to 2017. She represented the USDB teachers. 





​


Picture

​Philippe Montalette was appointed on the Advisory Council from 2016 to 2018.  


From 1945 to 2013, or for 68 years, Deaf individuals have served on the councils that provided oversight and guidance for the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind. These individuals represented the American Sign Language Deaf community of Utah. For the first time in its history, a deaf person representing the Oral/Aural/Listening/Spoken Language group has been appointed to the Council in the person of Ms. Smith.
 
As members of the USDB Advisory Council change, I will update a list of Deaf and hard of hearing individuals in this webpage.