After the establishment
of the Nebraska School for the Deaf in 1869 by a Deaf man, William
DeCoursey French, the alumni finally met in 1901 and met off and
on throughout the years for reunions. Eventually the reunions became
formalized initiating the Nebraska Alumni Association of the Deaf
(NAAD). Several years later the organization changed the name to
the Nebraska School for the Deaf Alumni Association (NSDAA).
The NSDAA has a long history in relation
to the school at 3223 North 45th Street in Omaha, Nebraska. Many
of the Alumni went on to become great Americans. The mentioned few
are:
Lyman Hunt, a lobbyist who, in futility,
tried to prevent the passage of the infamous bill in 1911 by the
Nebraska Legislature, banning the use of American Sign Language
(ASL) in schools.
Perry Seely, '03, who taught at NSD
and eventually moved to California and established the California
School for the Deaf- Riverside.
Dr. George Propp, '40, is the first
and only graduate to receive a doctorate. He taught at NSD, then
at University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is still an advocate of the
Deaf people.
Gary Olson, '60, went on to be an
Executive Director of the National Association of the Deaf. He was
one of the community leaders during the Deaf President Now Revolution
at Gallaudet University in March, 1988.
And many more...
The NSDAA's objectives, as set forth
in the by-laws, were to promote the activities of the Alumni of
the Nebraska School for the Deaf, to protect the interests of their
alma mater and to encourage students to remain in school until they
graduate.
For many years after 1984, the NSDAA
led a fight to preserve NSD from being closed by the state authorities.
From the Unwanted Attention of '84 to the eventual closure of NSD
in 1998, the Alumni fought in every front to protect the interest
of their alma mater. After the closure of NSD, they met again and
agreed to expand their mission to include ALL deaf children residing
in the state of Nebraska. Since they are future torch-bearers of
Nebraskan Deaf Heritage and Culture, the alumni felt that it would
serve the children better if to become more involved in deaf education
from the local to the state level.
Presently, the NSDAA is leading the
establishment of the Joint-Deaf Education Committee, consisting
of presidents from the NSDAA and the Nebraska Association of the
Deaf (NAD), and a few parents of deaf children to chart a course
for deaf children of Nebraska's tomorrow.
The membership consists mainly of
alumni. The membership also includes people who WENT to NSD even
if they did not graduate from there. Spouses of alumni and friends
are welcome to join; however, at the business meetings, they will
not have voting priviliges. Business meetings are held once every
five years at the general reunions and sponsored events in between.
Currently, the Association is operating
the museum at NSD campus, known now as The Turning Point, owned
and operated by the Genesis Foundation, a ministry in the north
Omaha area. The NSD museum is housed in a room located in the newer
wing of the Thompson Dormitory. |
