OUR STORY Together we will tell
NEWSLETTER
MAY - JUNE 2015 Vol. 3, No. 3
The gymnasium room, on the second floor of Gymnasium Hall (Ole Jim), decorated for “The Presentation Hop”, 1895. Courtesy of the Gallaudet University Archives.
Presentation Day, May 1894
As a celebration of this year’s Commencement, we are excited to present to you information about Gallaudet’s past graduation ceremonies. Although today they are held in the Field House, graduation has varied greatly throughout our history. One of the best ways to learn about Commencement ceremonies of the past is through The Buff and Blue, examining some of the earliest issues. The most interesting issue we found was Vol. 2, No. 6, published on June 1, 1894, focused on graduation, or as it was called then, "Presentation Day". This Presentation Day, on May 2, 1894, the 30th anniversary of the College, was particularly special. The Buff and Blue described the day as “an ideal May day, and the Green was clothed in her loveliest Spring garb." The Museum staff is proud to note that Chapel Hall, presently the home of our permanent exhibit Gallaudet at 150 and Beyond, hosted graduation in 1894. On this beautiful day, “The Chapel which was plainly but tastefully decorated for the occasion with flowers and plants, was almost filled to overflowing with a large and select audience.” With only 10 students graduating – four Master’s and six Bachelor’s students – and one student receiving a certificate, it was clear why the Chapel was able to host the graduation ceremonies, while today we must use the Field House.
An outdoor commen cement ceremony, c. 1914. Courtesy of the Galla udet University Archive s.
The program started off with Rev. Edward B. Bagby, Chaplain of the House of Representatives, providing an invocation. Then five students presented their dissertations: • “The Power of Public Opinion” – Thomas Sheridan • “Goethe” – Hannah Schankweiler • “The Future of Jupiter” – David Ryan, Jr. • “Agriculture in the United States” – John Kershner • “Education in the Middle Ages” – Louis Divine • “Fairy Mythology” – Lily Bickaler Following these, President Gallaudet presented the degrees, and the Honorable Hoke Smith, Secretary of the Interior, addressed the graduates. The best was saved for last. James C. Welling, President of Columbian University (now part of George Washington University) [ Continued on page 2 ] 1
GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY MUSEUM | NEWSLETTER
and advisor to the management of the institution of the National Deaf-Mute College, “was introduced, and he, in an entertaining manner and to our surprise, told us how the Board had decided to change the name of our College to ‘Gallaudet College.’” This represented a major change for the university, recognizing the contributions of the Gallaudet family to deaf education in general and the college in particular. But who specifically did this recognize? Campus lore has long said that the College was named after Rev. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, the co-founder of the American Asylum for Deaf-Mutes, today known as the American School for the Deaf. After all, it was Dr. Edward Miner Gallaudet himself who stated in his History of the College for the Deaf: 1857-1907: “I wish to record here that my wish was to have the name given with the clear understanding that it was in no way in honor of me, but solely to honor my father who richly deserved such an honor.” However, upon reading the Editorial for the June 1, 1894 edition of The Buff and Blue, one can see disagreement with this. It states: “That the present name is more desirable than the old one, is generally conceded; but there is a feeling, which we believed to be general among the students, and which exists also among many of the Alumni, that our college should be named after our President, and not his father, who had no connection with it, whatever…fter all had been accomplished, the one, but for whom it would never have been, quietly steps aside and allows the glory of it to go to his father. This may be but one more act of generosity, a wonderful example of filial love, but in the hearts of the many whom his great work has benefitted more than words can tell, Gallaudet College is named after, and in honor of our President, Dr. E. M. Gallaudet.” This provides a different point of view. The students (at least, those on The Buff and Blue's editorial staff), believed that the honor of name of the college should be attributed to Dr. Edward Miner Gallaudet, rather than to Rev. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. The Museum staff is eager to determine which is correct, and hopes to locate the Board’s deliberations or a declaration – with the possibility in mind that they may have intended to
MAY - JUNE 2015 Vol. 3, No. 3
honor both. After the announcement of the name change, the ceremonies concluded. On May 4th, 1894 Friday evening, the undergraduates hosted the Presentation Hop (also known as the “Farewell Hop”, or just “the Hop”). Hosted in Gymnasium Hall (currently the Peikoff Alumni House, or “Ole Jim”), The Buff and Blue praised the set up. “The beautiful and artistic arrangement of flags and flowers, the captivating display of dress by the large crowd of merry dancers and the excellent music rendered by Donch’s orchestra, made it all appear like a veritable fairy-land.” The party wound down around midnight, though some couples stayed until past two o’clock in the morning. If you would like to learn more about this commencement, as well as read some of the speeches presented, we encourage you to read the June 1, 1894 issue of The Buff and Blue, which can be found online at http://aladinrc.wrlc.org/handle/1961/15336. For other editions of The Buff and Blue, please visit http://aladinrc.wrlc.org/handle/1961/10834/ browse?type=dateissued. Have a wonderful summer, and congratulations to our recent graduates!
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GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY MUSEUM | NEWSLETTER
MAY - JUNE 2015 Vol. 3, No. 3
Then & Now
Agnes Tiegel and her sister Emma pose outside Chapel Hall, 1893. Today the landscape looks slightly different, but Chapel Hall’s red and white stones are clearly present in both. Courtesy of Gallaudet University Archives and Rani Alameh, respectively.
Deaf Peace Corps exhibit to appear online In May, the Making a Difference: Deaf Peace Corps Volunteers exhibit, on display in the Weyerhaeuser Gallery (opposite the Marketplace) since 2011, was taken down to make way for the Deaf HERstory exhibit, coming this year. If you were unable to view the Making a Difference: Deaf Peace Corps Volunteers exhibit before it was removed, or wish you could visit it again, don’t fret! The Museum staff are preparing this exhibit to become a virtual feature on our website. Trevor De Rosch, Assistant to the Curator, has been working on visual descriptions, helping to meet the Museum’s goal of wide accessibility to all members of the Gallaudet community and the public. Shane Dundas, Media Specialist, will be working with Rani Alameh, Graphic Designer, to make the exhibit virtual online. They have also been photographing the artifacts from this exhibit to ensure the online presentation is exactly as curator Jean Bergey intended it. Keep an eye on our newsletter and website for updates regarding this effort! We look forward to bringing the Deaf HERstory exhibit to the Weyerhaeuser Gallery in the Gallaudet Museum Annex. It is entering the final stages before production begins! 3
GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY MUSEUM | NEWSLETTER
MAY - JUNE 2013 2015 Vol. 1, 3, No. 13 SUMMER
Mayor Presents Gallaudet's Partnership with Pigmental Studios
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser with interpreter Amanda Eger. Photo by Shane Dundas and Gallaudet Museum.
On Thursday, May 26, the staff of the Gallaudet Museum arrived on campus early to open the Museum for the caterers, film crews, government staff, and facilities personnel to set up for a special event. The week before, the staff of Mayor Muriel Bowser chose the Gallaudet Museum as the site for the press conference announcing the collaboration and partnership between Gallaudet University and Pigmental Studios. Helping to commemorate and announce the event were Fred Weiner, Assistant Vice President for Administration; Carol Erting, Provost; Robin Mosle, Executive Vice
Participants watch as Mayor Bowser presents the partnership between Pigmental Studios and Gallaudet University. Photo by Shane Dundas and Gallaudet Museum.
President for Retail at The JBG Companies; Marina Martins, Co-Founder and CEO of Pigmental Studios and President of Connectivity Media; Angie Gates, Director of the Washington DC Office of Motion Picture and Television Development; and, of course, Mayor Bowser. The speeches covered the benefits of the partnership to the community, the plans for the future, and the changes that would occur as a result. We were pleased to host this important announcement and to welcome the Mayor to one of her city’s newest museums.
★ Important Announcement! ★ Attention Gallaudet Museum E-News Subscribers! We are undergoing some updates and changes to our e-newsletter listserv database system. We are not able to transfer all of the database from the old system into the new system. Soon, we will send you a separate e-mail asking you to click "Join Group" and fill out your e-mail address. You can also click the image to the right to join the group now. We will not share your information with anyone except the Office of Development at Gallaudet. In the meantime, please visit our social media on the right. Thank you for your continued support and for subscribing to our e-newsletter. The Gallaudet University Museum publishes the Our Story newsletter bi-monthly. We welcome photographs and stories of historical significance relating to Gallaudet University and Deaf History. In between newsletter issues, please visit our website for more information: www.gallaudet.edu/museum.html. We update the website frequently.
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