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Vocational Training Programs 
​at the Utah School for the Deaf 


Compiled & Written by Jodi Becker Kinner
Edited by Valerie G. Kinney


 Published in 2013
​Updated in 2021 

Implementation of the Vocational Training Programs at the Utah School for the Deaf

The Utah School for the Deaf (USD) had a strong focus on vocational training since its founding in 1884. After graduating from high school, the Deaf or hard of hearing student was able to contribute to society by learning vocational trades or skills. 

The USD's goal was to equip young men and women with marketable occupational skills and to prepare them for marketable vocations. Through the provision of communication access on campus, the students were taught to undertake industrial work at the industrial arts building, which included a fully equipped carpenter shop, boot and shoe shop, cabinet shop, and printing office (Robert, 1994).

At USD, students learned arithmetic, higher mathematics, physics, geography, history, art, and English, among other subjects (Evans, 1999). They had the option of picking any of the occupational trainings at no additional cost while taking the classes (Roberts, 1994).


Vocational Training Program Provides Transition From Vocational Paths to Work​

​Parents of early USD students came from a wide range of occupations. The majority of rural students' parents worked on farms or ranches (Roberts, 1994). John Beck, a USD co-founder in 1884 and the father of three Deaf sons, owned the Bullion-Beck Mine and Beck's Hot Springs. The most prevalent jobs of students' fathers were farming, shoemaking, carpenter, and laborer (Evans, 1999). Some of their parents worked as butchers, merchants, accountants, mechanical engineers, county recorders, dentists, surveyors, candy makers, eye specialists, and a postmaster (Evans, 1999).

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Utah School for the Deaf in Ogden, Utah. Hospital (left) Industrial Building (center) Main Building (right)

When it came to employment opportunities, Deaf people were limited in their ability to compete for a variety of jobs at the time. A handful of them chose to follow in their parents' footsteps, while others chose to pursue jobs in fields other than their parents' fields of expertise. The fact remained that individuals needed vocational training to become self-sufficient members of society, regardless of their current circumstances. Vocational training programs in the Utah School for the Deaf provided the students with marketable skills and the ability to transition from vocational to work-related coursework. Following their studies, the students benefited from the vocational training program in that it enabled them to establish a self-sufficient lifestyle for themselves and their families. Students who attended USD had more job options than those who did not attend the school. Most of them studied a specialty, but they did not always pursue the careers for which they were educated and trained (Robert, 1994). 

After graduating from high school, many young men and women chose to live and work in the metropolitan districts of Salt Lake City or Ogden, where there was a large Deaf community, rather than returning to the isolation of a small town in Utah with few other Deaf people (Roberts, 1994).

Did You Know? 

For a young school ours had a right to feel proud of its graduates, all of whom were respectable, industrious, and self-supporting citizens. We had among nineteen graduates, one surveyor, one teacher, two instructors, one photographer, four farmers, three housewives, two carpenters, one printer, one student, and three laborers. ***** Utah Eagle (The Silent Worker, June 1906). 

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During World War II in 1944, high school boys under the guidance of Herald Green were given job training as machinists at old Weber College

The Expansion of the
 Vocational Program for Boys 

The vocational training programs were first offered as part of the curriculum at the Utah School for the Deaf in 1889. Initially, the curriculum included vocational training in a variety of trades and skills, including carpentry, printing, and shoemaking. They were the first lessons that were specifically developed for boys. Farming, horticulture, blacksmithing, painting, and barbering were all included in the vocational training (Roberts, 1994).

Leather crafts, mechanical drawing, upholstering, and photography were added to the boys' vocational program in the early 1900s (Driggs, The Utah Eagle, November 1, 1901). Boys in the top six grades were given the opportunity to participate in vocational training programs. During the first two years, the boys were exposed to every type of training. During their final four years of secondary school, they were offered the option of specializing on one subject. Unemployment among the school's graduates was low (Utah School for the Deaf Program Book, 1960s).

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USD ​Boys' Vocational Department, 1960s

Printing 

Printing was one of the most popular vocations in the Utah Schools for the Deaf's vocational programs, perhaps due to the loudness involved in operating the press (Roberts, 1994). The printing department issued the school newspapers known as the "Deseret Eagle," "Eaglet," and "Utah Eagle" school newspapers. Other documentation for the school administration and the Utah Association of the Deaf were also printed (The Utah Eagle, September 15, 1897).

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Printing Department in the right side of basement of Woodbury Hall from 1940 to 1966

​On October 10, 1889, the first copy of "The Deseret Eagle," a small paper, was published. The printing department continued to publish the paper twice monthly until 1894, when it was discontinued. Between 1894 until 1899, the other paper, "The Eaglet," was formed, edited, and published by students who were also printers. The "Utah Eagle" launched on March 1, 1897, after a three-year break for the Deseret Eagle. Shortly after Utah became a state in 1896, the word "Deseret" was swapped for "Utah" in this publication. The early pioneers gave the commonwealth the name "Deseret." It signifies "industry" in the Book of Mormon. Since then, the "Utah Eagle," edited by the superintendent and his staff, was the official newspaper of the Utah School for the Deaf and Blind. During the academic year, the publication switched to a monthly schedule. These periodicals provided information on current issues of relevance to the Utah Deaf community. They included information on student activities, current and former staff members, student and family information, student grades for several years, and news from other Deaf organizations and schools (The Utah Eagle, September 15, 1897; Pace, 1946; Roberts, 1994; Utah School for the Deaf Program Book, 1960s).

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Learning how to operate a Linotype machine, 1955

Harry Sanger Smith, Known as “Bob White” 
​In The Silent Worker Magazine 


​Harry Sanger Smith was the first Printing and Linotyping instructor at the Utah School for the Deaf. Harry was born in Rosemount, New Jersey, on July 12, 1877. He lost his hearing when he was 12 years old due to cerebro-spinal meningitis and pneumonia.

After losing his hearing, he enrolled in the New Jersey School for the Deaf because he couldn't finish his education in a regular school (The Silent Worker, September 1900). He was assigned to the printing office as an exceptionally bright student, where he acquired basic typesetting and presswork under the guidance of Mr. Porter. At first, Harry objected, stating that he was being forced to learn the type case in its entirety before being allowed to set type. He stated that where he lived, he "constructed pig pens for a dollar a day." Mr. Porter persuaded him that if he learned to print, he could make a lot more money. As a result, he decided to stay (The Silent Worker, April 1925).

​Harry got a printing job in Trenton, New Jersey, right after graduating from the New Jersey School for the Deaf, where he worked for five years. 'The perfection of his typographical executions caught the attention of printers at the printing job,' he said. He joined the Typographical Union and spent his spare time printing, hunting, and fishing (The Silent Worker, April 1925). He loved being outside.

​By this time, Harry had become tired of his job and relocated to New Hope, Pennsylvania, to take over the management of a country weekly. ​Two months later, Harry accepted a position as a job and advertising compositor in one of Philadelphia's largest establishments. The office employed roughly 200 employees, with seventeen cylinder presses, nine linotypes, and its own lighting facility, electrotype foundry, and ink factory (The Silent Worker, September 1900).

​He moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado, due to his passion for the outdoors, particularly fishing and hunting. He was able to combine printing with camping, hunting, trapping, fishing, and penning adventure stories for magazines such as the Silent Worker (The Silent Worker, April 1925). In the Silent Worker magazine, he published several articles under the name "Bob White" (The Silent Worker, September 1900). In 1920, Harry traveled through Utah's Ogden Canyon in his Deaf friend, Paul Mark's Peerless car with National Fraternal Society of the Deaf President H.C. Anderson (The Silent Worker, November 1920).

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​Harry Sanger Smith @ The Silent Worker, September, 1900

​A strike was called by the Union in 1923. As a supporter of unionism, Harry walked out with the strikers. He was persuaded to accept a position as a printing and linotyping instructor at the Utah School for the Deaf after becoming tired of the long strike. Harry relocated to Ogden, Utah, where he accepted a position with one of the best printing offices in the West (The Silent Worker, April 1925). He enhanced the standard of printing the "Utah Eagle" magazine and "making it one of the very best from a typographical standpoint" during his brief effort (The Silent Worker, May 1924). Superintendent of USDB Frank M. Driggs commended Harry's artistic talent. "Never in the history of printing has a printer been so splendid, so thorough, so concerned with his work and his printer boys," he said. In the shop, he [Harry] held them and had a splendid influence over them" (The Silent Worker, May 1925).

Harry earned a reputation as a competent printer. In the summer of 1925, he was chosen by the Chairman of the Industrial Section to present a paper at the convention of Principals and Superintendents of the Deaf in Cincinnati, Ohio. However, on March 2, that year, Harry died suddenly of acute gastritis and was buried in the Ogden City Cemetery, about a block from the school gate (The Silent Worker, April 1925). ​Harry's talent for writing led him to the office of the Silent Worker, where he learned about the mysteries of the Printers' Art and was persuaded to give up his plan to build pig pens for a dollar a day (The Silent Worker, May 1924).

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Harry Sanger Smith. The Silent Worker, April 1925

William “Bill” Cole, 
An Ogden Standard-Examiner Typographer


The earliest Deaf printer was William "Bill" Cole. He was born in England on June 15, 1884, and immigrated to America as a child. After his father died in a coal mine accident in 1904, he dropped out of the Utah School for the Deaf, where he enrolled in 1897, to help his mother sustain the family. On April 10, 1912, William began working as a galley boy for the old Ogden Standard. When Ogden's two major newspapers, the "Standard" and the "Examiner," combined, several employees were laid off. Bill was fortunate to keep his work because he was recognized as one of the city's fastest "make-up men" (White, The Silent Worker, June 1920).

Bill was a typographer for this company for fifty years and is considered one of the industry's oldest full-time veterans in terms of service for one newspaper among typographers in the United States (UAD Bulletin, March 1984). Over the course of his career, he worked as a "head setter," make-up artist, ad man, floor man, and shop foreman. On April 10, 1962, William retired from the company. He did not let his deafness prevent him from achieving his goals (The UAD Bulletin, Summer 1962).

He was featured in a piece in Editor and Publisher in 1941. He stated in that story:

“My Deafness is to my advantage. The noise in the composing room tends to distract some workers – but me. I never hear it. Thus, I am better able to keep my mind on my work.” 
 
Editor and Publisher commented: 
 
“He is one of the fastest make-up men in the Intermountain country” (The UAD Bulletin, Summer 1962).

Bill was well-liked by both his workplace and the Deaf community in Utah. After traveling around the country, he worked as a makeup and operator at the "Standard" (White, The Silent Worker, April 1920).

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William Cole. The Silent Worker, June 9, 1920

Many students were trained as printers, but only a small number of them went on to work as professionals in the printing industry for an significant period of time after graduation. Among the expertise were William "Bill" Cole, George L. Laramie, Charles Roy Cochran, Keith Nelson, W. David Mortensen, and Kenneth L. Kinner. They spent the majority of their working lives as a printer for newspapers such as the Ogden Standard-Examiner, the Salt Lake Tribute, and the Newspaper Agency Corporation. ​

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George L. Laramie, a veteran compositor-operator at the Newspaper Agency Corporation facility in Salt Lake City, Utah, and a 1927 graduate of the Utah School for the Deaf, sits in front of his Linotype machine to demonstrate how it works. The Utah Eagle. Summer 1968

Some Deaf employers worked in the newspaper printing industry for a short period of time before moving on to other employment. Charles Martin, for example, was employed by a Nephi newspaper. He then resigned to return to his family's farm in southern Idaho, where he farmed for the rest of his life. After graduating from USD in printing, John H. Clark received a bachelor's degree from Gallaudet College. Instead of working in the printing industry when he returned to Utah, he worked in the construction and building industries (Roberts, 1994). G. Leon Curtis worked in the printing industry before resigning to attend the University of Arizona to pursue a graduate degree (G. Leon Curtis, personal communication, February 7, 2009). ​

Kenneth L. Kinner, a Printer
for the Newspaper Printing Industries

Kenneth L. Kinner, a 1954 graduate of the Utah School for the Deaf, took part in different vocational trainings before deciding to major in printing, which secured him a printing position at the Inland Printing Company in Kaysville, Utah when he was 16 years old. He remained a USD student and worked as a printer until 1954, when he graduated. He was paid 75 cents each hour. His hourly wage rose to $2.00 until he relocated to Salt Lake City, Utah in 1960, when he earned $3.00. He thought it was an excellent wage! He purchased a brand new 1957 Ford car for $2,000. His car cost was only $60.00 per month for three years!

After graduation, Kenneth worked for the Inland Printing Company and resided with his mother in Clearfield, Utah. He had a routine during the week where he worked on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 7:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. He proudly stated that he earned more money than anyone else for the amount of time he worked at the time.

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Kenneth L. Kinner is operating a Linotype machine at Inland Printing Company in Kaysville, Utah, 1958

As a newlywed to Ilene Coles, he was still working at the Inland Printing Company. Then, in 1960, Kenneth joined the Newspapers Agency Corp, where he worked with the Salt Lake Tribune and the Deseret News. 

In 1964, Kenneth accepted his offer with the Ogden Standard-Examiner. They decided to relocate to Ogden, Utah, for Deanne, their Deaf daughter, to attend Utah School for the Deaf. They purchased their first home for $14,000 on Eccles Avenue between 30th and Patterson Streets and lived there for 23 years. The payment was $130.00 per month!


Kenneth was assigned to work during the day and remained with the company until 1993. Due to downside employers and substantial technological advancements, he decided to retire and work part-time in 1994. Kenneth compared modern technology to an old dog learning new tricks, such as a computer taking over printing. He worked until he was 75 years old in 2008. There are a total of 44 years! (Kenneth L. Kinner, personal communication, December 26, 2010). Kenneth was proud of his printing profession and enjoyed telling stories about his adventures at the printing companies. 

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Teletype-setter recently installed at Inland Printing Company sets type automatically from a perforated tape. Kenneth L. Kinner, Inland Linotype operator watches as William G. McMahon, customer engineer for Fairchild Graphic Equipment Company, San Jose, California, checks first tape run through machine which is attached to one of the company's four type setting machines. The Reflex Journal, November 13, 1958

The following newspaper article provides information about Kenneth L. Kinner (Kenny) and his employment as a linotype operator, as well as his twin Deaf sister Eleanor Kay Kinner, who worked as a model for clothing catalogs.

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Eleanor Kay & Kenneth Lee Kinner

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Davis News, October 5, 1961

 
Blacksmith Trade 

Students at the Utah School for the Deaf were taught blacksmithing skills. Hugh Jacob, a Deaf student, spent the majority of his professional life in Heber City, Utah, as a blacksmith. The trade of blacksmithing was taught as part of the curriculum. Later, many residential schools included auto mechanics and machine shops where students could learn blacksmithing (Roberts, 1994).

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Glen William Ross, USD class of 1939 & blacksmith. The UAD Bulletin, Summer 1968

Carpentry

​Carpentry was one of the first popular vocational programs. A carpentry shop was established before the Utah School for the Deaf relocated to Ogden, Utah. This shop grew substantially after the school moved into its current facilities. A Deaf carpentry graduate, Nephi Larsen, taught many students and led carpentry workshops. They learned how to make tables, cabinets, cases, sash, doors, windows, and frames, among other things (The Utah Eagle, September 15, 1897; Roberts, 1994).

​In addition, the carpentry shop took care of a lot of the minor repairs that were needed to keep the campus's school buildings in good operating order. Many woodworking pieces built by USD students can be found throughout the USD buildings (The Utah Eagle, September 15, 1897).

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USD Carpentry Shop, early 1900s

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Carpentry class. Thomas Austin, Jed Crawford, Joseph Robertson, Lafel Hall, Gilman Stebbins, Andy Yogu, Walter Kirk

Donald Jensen, a 1938 alumnus of the Utah School for the Deaf, taught woodworking classes at the school. After graduating from Utah School for the Deaf in 1944, Lloyd H. Perkins worked as a carpenter in the construction industry. He designed a deaf-friendly church for the Salt Lake Valley Deaf Ward, which was completed in 1977.

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Donald Jensen. The UAD Bulletin, Summer 1968

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Donald Jensen, carpentry instructor checks Walter Wilson on fine points of wood turning at a lathe in the carpentry shop

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Lloyd H. Perkins. The UAD Bulletin, Summer 1968

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A carpenter shop at the Utah School for the Deaf, 1899

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At work at the carpenter shop, 1955

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Learning the upholstering business, 1955

Barbering

Following the relocation of the Utah School for the Deaf to Ogden, a barbering program was formed, which prepared Deaf students to work in the barbering industry. The barbershop provided grooming services for students and staff. Former USD student Arvel Christensen opened his own barbershop. 

Barbering was another option for students who wanted to acquire a different skill while still in school. Andrew Madsen, one of the students, learned carpentry and later became a barber when he returned to Ephraim, Utah (Roberts, 1994).

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A barbering class at the Utah School for the Deaf

Arvel Christensen, A Barbershop Owner 


In 1973, an open house was held to mark Arvel Christensen's retirement from the barbering business. He is believed to be the only Deaf barber who can use scissors in Utah, where he owned a barbershop at 908 Washington Boulevard in Ogden, Utah. 

After graduation from Utah School for the Deaf in 1932, he struggled to find work. However, due to the Great Depression in the early 1930s, he did not have much luck. Arvel made the decision to open a barbershop of his own. Prior to that, he studied at Moler Barber College in Salt Lake City and passed his state exam after five months of training.

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Arvel Christensen, The UAD Bulletin, Summer 1968

​Arvel's first shop, on 13th Street in Ogden, was set up on his parents' front porch. He struck out on his own in 1940, leasing a property on Washington Boulevard and building a business with residential quarters in the back. He had a large number of customers because his shop was across the street from Ogden High School, one of the largest high schools in Utah.
​​
Following their marriage, Arvel and Berdean moved into their home at 908 Washington Boulevard. A barbershop was set up on their front porch. He had a minor stroke in May 1973, and because of his heart condition, he felt that after 40 years of dedication, it was time to reap the rewards of his labor (UAD Bulletin, November 1973).


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Arvel Christensen, UAD Bulletin, November 1973

Shoemaking

Students in the shoemaking program learned how to make and repair shoes. The majority of the students were trained in this program and went on to work in the shoe industry. The shoemaking department also repaired shoes for students and employees (Roberts, 1994).

Other students worked in the show repair business throughout the state, including John Alvey, who owned his own shoe repair shop. The owners of a shoe repair shop were also Paul Mark,
John W. McMills, and Lee Shepherd.

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The shoes and horse ladies shop at the Utah School for the Deaf, 1897

Paul Mark, 
A Shoe Repair Shop Owner 

Paul Mark, a 1892 graduate of the Utah School for the Deaf, ran "Dunn and Bradstreets," a shoe store on 25th Street in Ogden, Utah, in the 1920s. He had a very successful business and was a stockholder in several of Ogden's leading industries (White, The Silent Worker, April 1920; White, The Silent Worker, October 1920). In a single day, more than fifteen pairs of shoes were repaired. His business had become so busy one day that he was forced to work past his customary closing hours. Cyril Jones of Logan and USD class of 1912 (a Deaf father of two Deaf sons, Von and Rollin Jones) became his assistant and eventually got a job working for Paul (White, The Silent Worker, June 1920).

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Paul Mark. The UAD Bulletin, Summer 1963

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Paul Mark's shop on 25th Street, Ogden. The Silent Worker, October 1920

​If members of the Deaf community wanted to know what was going on in the Deaf community, they would call Paul Mark. He hosted gatherings in his shoe business, inviting Deaf people from all across the country (White, The Silent Worker, April 1920). While Paul was running his shop in Ogden, Utah, another Deaf person, John W. McMills, a former USD student, was also running his shop in Salt Lake City, Utah (White, The Silent Worker, June 1920).

John W. McMills
A Shoe Repair Shop Owner 

At the age of six in 1888, John Wallace McMills entered the Utah School for the Deaf in Salt Lake City, Utah. While in school, he learned a variety of trades. John excelled at horseshoeing, repairing, and fabricating harnesses. Shoemaking became his life's work. Following his father's health decline, John dropped out of school to become the primary breadwinner for the McMills family. His mother relied on him for a steady source of income. John, at the age of 20, opened his first shoemaking and repair shop in Tooele, Utah, around 1902. In about 1903 or 1904, he moved his business to Mercur, Utah, to support his family. Following his marriage to Pearl Ault in 1910, John opened a new shop in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1926 and later relocated to San Francisco, California, to run his shoemaking business. Due to Pearl's health issues, he and their two daughters, Eva and Lucy, relocated to Utah to run his last business, J.W. McMills Shoe Repairing Co., located at 267 E. 5th South in Salt Lake City. John was well-known in the local business community. Furthermore, the Deaf community respected John and frequently sought his advice. In 1952, he retired and sold his business. In 1916, he was a founding member of Salt Lake City Division No. 56, an insurance company. 

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John McMills

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John W. McMills' first Harness making, shoe making and repair Shop in the Mining Town of Mercer, Utah, 1901

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John W. McMills’ business card. His last place of business before retiring in 1949

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John McMills’ J.W. McMills Repairing Shop. His daughter, Lucy is standing next to her father, about 1926, Lucy later married Vigil Greenwood, a Deaf man, and became a well-known interpreter in the Utah Deaf Community

Lee Shepherd, 
An Owner of the Shoe Repair Business

At the turn of the 20th century, Lee Shepherd's family settled in Spanish Fork, Utah, but during the Great Depression, Lee's father relocated the family to Salt Lake City in search of work. Lee was born in Salt Lake City in 1926 and moved back to Spanish Fork in 1928 after becoming deaf. Lee enrolled in the Utah School for the Deaf in Ogden in 1932 and graduated in 1946 with a class of eight to ten students (Doug Stringham, personal communication, April 29, 2009).

​Lee spent the majority of his in-school apprentice training at USD with Paul Mark, a Deaf man who ran an Ogden shoe repair shop. Mr. Mark was a "weekend teacher," coming to USD on Fridays and Saturdays to help Lee and others learn how to repair shoes. Lee was invited to teach and train other students by his senior year since he had become so skilled at the trade while in the training program. Lee also worked as an apprentice with Grant Morgan, a Deaf man who had a shoe repair shop in Spanish Fork. Mr. Mark was credited with the most of Lee's training (Doug Stringham, personal communication, April 29, 2009).

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Lee Shepherd. The UAD Bulletin, Summer 1968

After being employed, for some time at the Modern Shoe Clinic in Ogden, Utah, Lee decided to venture into business himself and opened a shoe repair shop in Spanish Fork, Utah in March 1947 (Burdett, The Utah Eagle, January 1947). His first store in 1947 was located on the northwest corner of 100 North and 100 West in Spanish Fork. He later bought a bigger and better trafficked shop in 1956 on the northeast corner of 200 North Main Street (Doug Stringham, personal communication, April 29, 2009). 

​After working at the Modern Shoe Clinic in Ogden, Utah for a while, Lee decided to start his own business and opened a shoe repair shop in Spanish Fork, Utah in March 1947 (Burdett, The Utah Eagle, January 1947). In 1947, he opened his first business in Spanish Fork, on the northwest corner of 100 North and 100 West. In 1956, he purchased a larger and busier shop on the northeast corner of 200 North Main Street (Doug Stringham, personal communication, April 29, 2009).

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Lee Shepherd was in a shoemaking class at the Utah School for the Deaf, 1946

Lee chose Spanish Fork over Ogden and Salt Lake City, where there was a large Deaf community, because he felt his family, extended family, and the entire Spanish Fork community already recognized him. It would be less difficult to build a clientele. He felt that starting a business in SLC or Ogden would have been considerably more challenging due to a larger and unknown client base (Doug Stringham, personal communication, April 29, 2009).

In Spanish Fork, Utah, Lee was recognized for his kind demeanor and prompt service. In 1985, he sold his company and retired. For many years, he sold western boots and repaired shoes. He is thought to be the last Deaf business owner to graduate from the Vocational Department of the Utah School for the Deaf. In addition to his business, he served on the boards of the Utah Association for the Deaf and the Utah Valley Chapter (Doug Stringham, personal communication, April 29, 2009).


Thomas Loran Savage's Shoe Repair Business
​ in Flagstaff, Arizona 

While teaching at the Utah School for the Deaf, Elizabeth "Libbie" DeLong, USD class of 1897, 1902 Gallaudet graduate, and the first female president of the Utah Association of the Deaf, met Thomas Loran Savage, better known as Loran Savage, from Antimony, Utah (Banks & Banks; Roberts, 1994). They spent a lot of time together and got to know each other well. Because of the nature of the residential school at the time, students and staff members were able to get to know one another, and it became a popular social meeting spot for Deaf people. As a result, there were a number of deaf weddings (Roberts, 1994). Loran, member of the 1914 USD class, was 14 years younger than Libbie. Loran was a very athletic person who participated in all of the school's sports. He was a great basketball player. Loran was in school to become a shoemaker (Banks & Banks). Loran and Libbie Savage were married on July 25, 1917 in Panguitch, Utah. Loran started his shoe repair business after they moved to Flagstaff, Arizona.

Picture
Elizabeth DeLong and Loran Savage, about 1930 @ DeLong Family Saga

Loran and Libbie ran a shoe repair shop together and got along swimmingly. According to Banks and Banks, Libbie and her husband were held in high regard by the entire town. They were happy "in their constant companionship until her last illness of cancer when she passed away in 1931, at the age of 57, which did not abate her sweet cheerfulness nor his devoted devotion," as she undertook most of the clerical chores associated with Loran's business (Banks & Banks). 

Learning Agriculture and Farming Skills
at the Utah School for the Deaf

When the Utah School for the Deaf relocated to Ogden, Utah, it was surrounded by lawns, flower beds, trees, orchards, a farm, and a garden on 200,000 acres of property on a high plateau. It was large enough to grow crops and raise "garden sass" to feed the students (The Silent Worker, January 1897). 

To prepare them to return to their agricultural roots, the students were taught by competent workers in such trades as gardening, farming, and horticulture (The Silent Worker, January 1897).

Did You Know?

Mr. Driggs [USDB Superintendent] gave us ten dollars to deposit in the Commercial National Bank; we got a checkbook and when we buy chicken feed, we write a check to pay for it. When Mr. Driggs pays us for eggs, we deposit that money in the bank. When we have enough, we will pay back ten dollars to Mr. Driggs. – Utah Eagle
 
No wonder they grow rich and prosperous out in Utah, when even the girls, in additions to learning poultry management in a practical, common-sense way, are given the excellent course in business methods which the above extract from a girl’s description of her poultry studies shows she is receiving (The Silent Worker, November 1916). 


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The boys are crafting a leather project, 1955

Gardening

The Utah School for the Deaf was able to start a horticulture program because of the size of the new facility in Ogden, Utah. The gardeners and staff members, Mr. Kremer and Mr. Hickenlooper, taught the students about agriculture and farming. Later, two students, Joseph Beck and Alfred Young, were later hired as gardeners on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' 10-acre Temple Square in downtown Salt Lake City (Roberts, 1994).

Farming Animals and Tending Orchard

Utah School for the Deaf had a vast orchard in 1897, with practically every fruit imaginable. Canning was done in the kitchen area to preserve fruits and vegetables. Over 3,000 jars of fruit, several hundred quarts of jelly, pickles, tomatoes, chow-chow, ketchup, and other items had been stored (Roberts, 1994). 

The boys learned how to raise cattle and grow orchards. They also studied agriculture to improve their work skills, which would be useful when they returned to their rural homes (Roberts, 1994).

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On the right side of the barn, there is a long chicken coop in front of it. Behind it lies a large pig pen. This barn is where all of USD's meat, milk, and eggs are produced. These buildings were demolished sometime about 1955

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They are milking a cow

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The Utah School for the Deaf maintains a cattle farm

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Students at the Utah School for the Deaf, 1928-29. L-R: Wayne Stewart, Alton Fisher, possible Verl Throup, Earl Smith, ___

The Expansion of the
Vocational Program for Girls

During their early training at the Utah Schoo for the Deaf, which began in 1897, the girls learned to make tea towels, table doilies, throws, sofa pillows, pillow shams, handkerchief cases, bed blankets, and photo holders. The homemaking training covered everything from cooking to cleaning to sewing. Homemaking skills such as embroidery and needlework, as well as painting, crocheting, knitting, and making paper flowers, were taught to the girls. Commercial subjects like typing, filing, and the proper use of office equipment were also covered (The Utah Eagle, September 15, 1897). At the time, the USD's goal was to show that every Deaf child should be sent to this school, where they could live happy and content lives (The Utah Eagle, September 15, 1897).

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USD ​Girls' Vocational Department, 1960s

During the top six levels at USD, the girls' vocational department paralleled the boys' program. Art, cooking, sewing, dressmaking, fancy work, and housekeeping were all taught to the girls (Driggs, The Utah Eagle, November 1, 1901). The girls were required to take regular domestic science courses and assist with the school's domestic tasks (Utah School for the Deaf Program Book).

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USD Cooking Class, 1903

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USD Dressmaking class, 1903

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USD sewing class, 1903

While both boys and girls participated in vocational training programs, they obtained equal experience in each. Several young women worked as dressmakers, including Sarah Abby, and Ivy Griggs Low served as a housemother at the Montana School for the Deaf (Roberts, 1994).

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USD ironing class, 1940s

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USD Cooking class, 1940s

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USD Typing class, 1930s-1940s

 Vocation Training Program Continued 
at the Utah School for the Deaf in 1968


As indicated in the History of the Utah Association of the Deaf, the Utah Association of the Deaf (UAD) had long advocated for vocational training. While the vocational training programs at USD were still in operation in 1968, the UAD proudly acknowledged that history had shown that Deaf students were more likely to take their positions in society as helpful tax-paying citizens in one of the vocations rather than one of the professions (The Utah Eagle, February 1968).

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USD cooking class, 1955

During the 1960s, the boys' vocational program added a few additional trades and skills to the mix, including welding, sheet metal, electrical and plumbing repair, and car mechanics. Weber State College's facilities were used by students who were able to meet the school's requirements (The Utah Eagle, February 1968). 

The vocational training for the girls at the period included home nursing, family living, beauty culture, and data processing (The Utah Eagle, February 1968).

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More Job Opportunities for the
​Utah School for the Deaf Graduates 

The USD supported students in building an independent life for themselves and their families by utilizing their marketable skills (Roberts, 1994). As a result of vocational training programs, they were self-sufficient and relied less on their family members. Furthermore, the Utah Deaf community flourished, and Deaf people began to connect with their peers that were previously inconceivable before the USD was established in 1884 (Roberts, 1994). ​As mentioned in the preceding paragraph, many young men and women chose to live and work in the metropolitan areas of Salt Lake City and Ogden rather than return to the seclusion of rural towns in Utah where few other Deaf people lived after leaving the USD (Roberts, 1994).

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USD Sewing Class, 1940s

The Utah Association of the Deaf had long advocated for vocational training. While USD's vocational training programs were still in operation in 1968, the UAD proudly acknowledged that history had shown that Deaf students were more likely to take their place in society as productive tax-paying citizens in one of the vocations rather than one of the professions (The Utah Eagle, February 1968).

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USD typing class, 1954

More Trades and Skills Are Available 

During the 1960s, the boys' vocational program added a few additional trades and skills to the mix, including welding, sheet metal, electrical and plumbing repair, and car mechanics. Weber State College's facilities were used by students who were able to meet the school's requirements (The Utah Eagle, February 1968).

The vocational training for the girls at the period included home nursing, family life, beauty culture, and data processing (The Utah Eagle, February 1968). 


Eleanor Kay Kinner works as a Card Punch Operator at Hill Air Force Base, Utah

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Eleanor Kay Kinner. The Utah Eagle, Summer 1968

Eleanor Kay Kinner, a graduate of the USD class of 1954, who worked as a card punch operator, was awarded the annual Air Force Association Outstanding Achievement award in 1968. The card punch operator vocation was extremely popular among Deaf women, who made exceptional operators because the noise did not bother them and they were able to concentrate on the production process. Many Deaf women were employed at Hill Air Force Base, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Western Service Center in Utah (The Utah Eagle, Summer 1968).

Ilene Coles Kinner Detects Tax Fraud 

In 1976, Jim Hilber, a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, was recruiting for more Deaf individuals to fill a position with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in Ogden, Utah, where there were at least five Deaf seasonal workers. At the time, Ilene Coles Kinner, a USD class of 1959 alumnus, was at home rearing her son, Duane. Ilene was one of eight Deaf people who assisted Hilber in achieving his goal. To begin with, she took a part-time position in January 1976 to spend as much time as possible with Duane, who was three years old at the time. She was recognized for spotting tax fraud while on the job. Due to furlough days, she worked until May of that year. Barbara N., Ilene's boss, came to her house one day to persuade her to take a full-time job. She was chosen from a group of thirty hearing employees who worked part-time. Ilene paused for a moment, remembering that Duane had just turned four years old. She was undecided about working full-time. Jim pushed on her to take the job offer because he wanted to prove that Deaf people can do it just as well as hearing people. Ilene accepted the position, making history as the first Deaf person to work full-time in a permanent position. She started working full-time in January 1977. Shortly after, she pushed her way through many meetings with managers and staff members, pleading with them to hire Deaf people for full-time, permanent positions. Her wish was granted. The IRS began to hire more full-time Deaf personnel. Ilene had been with the company for twenty-five years. She retired on January 3, 2003 (Ilene Coles Kinner, personal communication, December 26, 2010). Working for the Internal Revenue Service has been a rewarding experience for Ilene. She expressed gratitude to the Internal Revenue Service for being receptive to hiring more Deaf employers.

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Ilene Coles Kinner. Newscope. IRS Center, Ogden, Utah, 1976

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Ilene Coles Kinner

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Declination of the USD Vocational Training Programs

Since 1889, USD had successfully provided vocational training programs for Deaf and hard of hearing students, despite years of financial difficulties (The UAD Bulletin, Winter 1961). However, as a result of the promotion of general education over school-based vocational training and the expansion of mainstreaming, the vocational programs at USD quickly declined and subsequently ended in the 1990s. People who are deaf or hard of hearing can now receive vocational training and career assistance through the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation. 

Students from Utah School for the Deaf, ages 16 to 21, can also participate in the Supported Transition Extension Program, which provides comprehensive academic, social, job readiness, college preparation, and life skills education to prepare students for adulthood, according to the USD website. Post-high school students who live in a residential cottage on Ogden's campus can also gain independence, social skills, and adult transition skills. The Ogden/Weber Applied Technology College offers students a trade certificate as well as on-the-job training. Students enjoy working for companies such as Sears, Smiths, Honks, and Petco, to name a few.
​

For several years, according to Michelle Tanner, Associate Superintendent of the Utah School for the Deaf, the state of Utah has advocated for all students to attend college. Many students find this useful, but others find it challenging. As a result, the Utah School for the Deaf made a deliberate effort a few years ago to ensure the success of all students, regardless of their goals. Some students still want to go to college, while others want to pursue a vocational career. USD has teamed with Ogden-Weber Technical College, or OTECH, in the Ogden area to further these goals. The Kenneth Burdett School of the Deaf in Ogden works collaboratively with this group, providing job coaches and interpreters to make classes more accessible. Students at USD have earned degrees in welding and culinary. Some students have graduated at the top of their class. USD recently teamed with EnableUtah, an Ogden-based nonprofit organization, to assist some of the students with significant delays by providing a career training program that teaches extremely specialized skill sets. The old woodshop on the Ogden campus was also renovated to accommodate a vocational training space. In this space, they have the equipment they need to design and print shirts, as well as work on other technical projects. USD has teamed up with Salt Lake Community College and Paul Mitchell Cosmetology School in Salt Lake City to help students receive certifications from their co-enrolled programs. USD recruited a transition specialist in the fall of 2019 who was tasked with finding businesses willing to train their students on the job in a variety of positions (Michelle Tanner, personal communication, December 21, 2021). 

In certain ways, USD's post-secondary education program differs from the traditional vocational training program. They have, however, established a way to create vocational options for Deaf and hard of hearing students, as mentioned above.

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ARCHIVES 

  • Special Alumni Issue. The Utah Eagle, April 1955. (PDF) 
​
  • Utah Deaf People in Business and Industry...in the Space Age. The UAD Bulletin, Summer 1968. (PDF) 

Personal Communication 
 
Doug Stringham, personal communication, April 29, 2009. 

G. Leon Curtis, personal communication, February 7, 2009.

Ilene Coles Kinner, Personal Interview, December 26, 2010. 

Kenneth L. Kinner, personal communication, December 26, 2010

Michelle Tanner, personal communication, December 21, 2021
 
References 
 
“Arvel Christensen Retires From Barbering.” UAD Bulletin, vol. 8, no. 4 (November 1973): 4. 


Banks, Gladys W. & Banks, Douglas W. "The DeLong Family Saga.


Burdett, Kenneth, C. “Lee Shepherd.” The Utah Eagle, vol. 58, no. 4 (January 1947): 9. 

“Death.” The Silent Worker, vol. 37, no. 7 (April 1925): 359.  
 
Driggs, Frank, M. The Utah Eagle, vol. XIII, no. 2 (November 1, 1901): 16.

 
Evans, David S. “A Silent World in the Intermountain West: Records from the Utah School for the Deaf and Blind: 1884-1941.” A thesis presented to the Department of History: Utah State University. 1999. 
 
“Exchange.” The Silent Worker, vol. 29, no. 2 (November 1916): 33.
 
“Harry Sanger Smith.” The Silent Worker, vol. 13, no. 1 (September 1990): 5. 
 
“It is great, our School for the Deaf, Dumb and Blind.” The Utah Eagle, vol. IX, no.1 (September 15, 1897): 1-2. 
 
“Miss C.V. Eddy.” The Silent Worker, vol. 10, no. 5 (January 1898): 73.
​
“New Developments in Utah’s Educational Programs for the Deaf.”  The Utah Eagle, vol. 79, no. 5 (February 1968): 13 – 15. 
 
“News of Note.” UAD Bulletin, vol. 7, no. 10 (March 1984): 5. 
 
“Obituary.” The Silent Worker, vol. 37, no, 7 (April 1925): 359.  
 
“Printer Serves 50 Years Engineer Closes Career.” The UAD Bulletin, vol. 2, no. 7 (Summer 1962): 3. 
 
Roberts, Elaine M. “The early history of the Utah School for the Deaf and its influence in the development of a cohesive Deaf society in Utah, circa. 1884 – 1905.” A thesis presented to the Department of History:Brigham Young University. August 1994. 
 
“Starting Things.” The Silent Worker, vol. 36, no. 8, (May 1924): 365. 
 
“Tribute to Harry S. Smith.” The Silent Worker, vol. 38, no. 8 (May 1925): 385. 
 
“The Utah School for the Deaf.” The Silent Worker, vol. 9, no. 5 (January 1897): 77. 
 
"Utah Deaf People in Business and Industry ...in the Space Age." The UAD Bulletin, vol. 5, no. 3 (Summer 1968). 

Utah School for the Deaf Program Book, 1960s. 
 
“With Our Exchanges.” The Silent Worker, vol. 18, no. 9 (June 1906): 141. 
 
White, Bob. “Notes and Comments from the Land of the Mormons.” The Silent Worker, vol. 32 no. 7 (April 1920): 186. 
 
White, Bob. “Notes and Comment From the Land of the Mormons.” The Silent Worker, vol. 32, no. 9 (June 1920): 243. 
 
White, Bob. “Winding Trails.” The Silent Worker, vol. 33, no. 2 (November 1920): 59-60 & 62. 
 
“WM. Cole, Carlos Seegmiller Honored.” The UAD Bulletin, vol. 2, no. 7 (Summer 1962): 3 & 10.