the deaf have learned much from the papers which have been read here regarding the mentally deficient, and from the papers relating to the blind. All of us have profited by these papers and addresses; and this profit has been afforded outside of this department to the general teachers in session in this city. Let us take a glance and see what seems to have been the usual trend of thought in regard to the condition of the deaf that has culminated in this meeting, which forms not an end but a beginning of further progress. At first it was thought that the deaf should be taken away from their homes, separated from all their hearing companions and friends, and brought into huge schools where they should meet no other than the deaf. In fact, it was commonly thought that they could all be put into one large school. But the census af 1890 revealed the fact that we had 19,975 deaf children under twenty years of age in the United States, and only 7,500 in all the schools for the deaf. I do not know how it is with the blind and the feeble-minded, but these are the facts in relation to the deaf: after half a century, or the greater portion of the century, with generous contributions from the United States, and from the several states, we find that out of some 20,000 deaf children under the age of twenty-one years only 7,500 were to be found in all the schools for the deaf thruout the country. Indeed, even today there are only 9,700 in all our schools; so that our methods of reaching the deaf have failed to bring under instruction a large proportion of this class. The plan of providing schools, institutions, or boarding schools, all of them have failed; but in the last few years we have had a new policy whereby the state furnishes decentralization in the instruction of the deaf, combining day schools with the central institutions, so that children can be reached at a younger age in the day schools and in small numbers; and those who cannot attend the day schools have the state institution to go to. All children cannot attend the day schools, all children cannot go to the institutions or boarding schools. We should have both; the day school moving out into the smaller centers of population, taking in children at a younger age than they could be received into an institution. In Wisconsin, Illinois, and Ohio legislation has provided means by which teachers can be sent to the children instead of the children to the teacher; so that, if you find in a little place four or five little deaf children, with the machinery provided by legislation, teachers can be sent to them. They can live in their own homes, can be taught at four, five, and six years of age; and at a later period can either go on with their education in these day schools or go to an institution or boarding school. Now, all that I have said in relation to the deaf would be equally advantageous to the blind and to the feeble-minded. We have in the public-school system a large body of ordinary children in the same community. We have there children who cannot hear sufficiently well to ment. profit by instruction in the public schools, and we have children who cannot see sufficiently well to profit by instruction in the public schools, and we have children who are undoubtedly backward in their mental developWhy should not these children form an annex to the public-school system, receiving special instruction from special teachers, who shall be able to give instruction to little children who are either deaf, blind, or mentally deficient, without sending them away from their homes or from the ordinary companions with whom they are associated? In fact, if there is one thing that seems to me clear, it is this, that the tendency of educational progress in regard to these classes is to keep to the normal environment of the child as closely as possible. A deaf child is born amidst hearing and speaking people; it has got to live in that community, and has got to be specially prepared to make a living in that community. Now, how are we going to prepare him to live in that community? By taking him away? Are we going to prepare him to converse with his hearing brothers and sisters, father and mother, uncles and aunts, by taking him away from them? Now, in the case of a deaf child, nature interposes a barrier to communication with the rest of the community. We are all dumb at birth, we were all once infants. And what does infant mean? It comes from two words, in, "not," and fans, “talking." We do not talk at birth. How do we learn to speak? By hearing other people speak, by imitation; and if the little child happens to be born deaf, or even very slightly deaf, and the infant remains at home, it cannot be taught to speak thru imitation without the help of a special teacher. But one of the very best things we can do is to teach deaf children the language of the people with whom they live. In our country, of course, this is the English language. Now, all you who are not teachers of the deaf may learn from our work; I mean those of you who want to teach French or German to an ordinary child. The method of teaching language to the deaf may be of great assistance to you. Now, Mr. President, in these few remarks I merely wished to emphasize my feelings that this meeting should be regarded as a milestone in the progress of education for the deaf, the blind, and the feeble-minded. And I feel that, instead of being an end, it is the beginning of a great educational movement. LIST OF LIFE AND ACTIVE MEMBERS ARRANGED BY STATES, CLASSES, AND YEARS OF CONTINUOUS MEMBERSHIP REVISED TO DECEMBER 1, 1898 In preparing this list, the Secretary has found the records of annual membership very imperfect, especially in the earlier years. Every effort has been made, with the assistance of the members, to correct all errors. It is too much to hope that this has been fully accomplished. Further corrections will be made as errors are discovered. All whose names appear in the following list are invited to send to the Secretary, at once, corrections of errors and omissions. Many early members of the association who have contributed largely to its growth and success are enrolled under recent dates because their membership has not been continuous, and no plan for indicating irregular memberships has been adopted. Many others have paid the dues for omitted years, received the volumes of proceedings, and obtained credit from the earliest years of their attendance. This privilege is still extended to all who wish to avail themselves of it. All active members are urged to co-operate with the Executive Committee in extending this list until it includes the leading educators of every state, to the end that the association may receive their active support, and may in turn render most efficient service thru its meetings, its organized plans for educational investigation, and its published reports. The annual active membership fee will be due at the time of annual meeting, and may be paid by a railroad membership coupon delivered to the Treasurer, by cash payment to the Treasurer during the annual meeting, or by cash remittance to the Secretary before September I of each year. The marginal years indicate the date of the commencement of continuous annual membership for those whose names immediately follow. The indented years indicate date of appointment to present educational position. The names of deceased members are indicated by a *. Extra copies of this list may be obtained by remitting thirty cents to the Secretary, Irwin Shepard, Winona, Minn. ALABAMA ACTIVE MEMBERS 1882. JULIA S. TUTWILER. Agent University Publishing Company, Box 558, Montgomery. 1898. Principal of High School, 600 S. 27th St., Birmingham. *JOHN T. GREGORY, C. E., '89, Alabama Polytechnic Inst. 1894. Principal Grammar School, 996 Government St., Mobile. *Died September 21, 1898. Grammar Department, Public Schools, 110 N. Conception St., Mobile. 1897. President University of Alabama, University. JAMES K. POWERS, A.M., '73, LL.D., '97, Univ. of Ala. CHARLES BEN VAN WIE, Ph.M., Ph.D., '94, Ill. Wesleyan Univ. 1888. Department of Pedagogy, State Normal College, Florence. JOHN D. YERBY, A.B., '79, Southern Univ.; A.M., '96, Univ. of Ala. 1897. ALABAMA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE. President, William Le Roy Brown; Librarian, Charles C. Thach, Auburn. 1898. ROBERT VENABLE ALLGOOD, B.P., '88, B.S., '90, So. Univ., Greensboro; A.M., '93, Univ. of Nashville. 1894. Superintendent of Public Schools, 5th Ave. E., Avondale. J. F. ELLIOTT. 1897. Principal of High School, Brookwood. J. A. KNIGHT, B.C., '87, Keochie Čoll., La.; B.S., '95, Nat. Nor. Univ., Lebanon, O. 1894. Superintendent U. S. Indian Boarding School, Indian School, San Carlos, HORACE E. WILSON. 1898. Superintendent in charge of Supai Indians and School, Supai. 1897. F. S. HAFFORD, A.B., Healdsburg Coll., Cal. 1897. Superintendent of Schools, Prescott. 1898. T. E. DALTON, Teacher in 4th and 5th Grades, Central School, 392 Grand Ave., Hot Springs. J. L. HOLLOWAY, A. M., Missouri State Normal. 1889. Superintendent of Schools, 12th and K Sts., Fort Smith. W. W. RIVERS, A.B., '86, A.M., '89, Univ. of Miss. 1894. Superintendent of City Schools, Helena. 1896. HOWARD GATES. 1891. Principa! Kramer School, 20th and Cross Sts., Little Rock. J. H. HINEMON, A.M., '93, Arkadelphia Coll. 1895. Superintendent of Schools, 618 W. 6th Ave., Pine Bluff. ALFRED LEE PEACHER, A.M., '92, Wooster Univ., O. 1895. Superintendent of Schools, 806 Broadway, Van Buren. 1897. HENDRIX COLLEGE. J. W. PARKER. President, A. C. Millar, Conway. Principal of School, 8th and B Sts., Ft. Smith. JOHN HUGH REYNOLDS, A.B., '93, Hendrix Coll.; A.M., '97, Univ. of Chicago. 1898. MRS. E. M. BLAKE, Ph. B. Teacher of English, Onachita Baptist College, Arkadelphia, JENNIE BOYD, M.E.L. BELLE BUNZEL. Teacher in Public Schools, Hope. Elmo. J. C. CORBIN, A.B., '53, A.M., '60, Ohio Univ. 1873. President Branch Normal College, Pine Bluff. EVA L. DAVIS, B.L., Hardin Coll., Mexico, Mo. 1898. Teacher in Public Schools, 1003 Poplar St., Pine Bluff. HATTIE DENISON. |