A Brief History on the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind by Valerie Etienne-Leveille
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A brief history on the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind by Valerie Etienne-Leveille Thomas Hines Coleman was born at Ridgeway in South Carolina on May 30th, 1853 (1). He became deaf at the age of 11 from meningitis. Thomas graduated from the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind. In 1882, Thomas graduated from the Gallaudet University in Washington D.C. which was the only college in the world for the deaf during this time (2). Gallaudet University was founded in 1864 and is currently serving students from all 50 states and more than 100 other countries (3). In the 1880s, Florida was one of many states that had no facilities to educate children who were deaf, hard of hearing, or visually impaired. Thomas corresponded with Florida Governor W.D. Bloxham and urged him to establish a school for the deaf and blind in Florida (4)(5). Governor Bloxham was receptive to the suggestion and in 1883, the Florida legislature appropriated $20,000 toward the construction of the school. The State of Florida requested bids from interested towns for the school location. St. Augustine won the bid with an offer of $1,000 cash and a five-acre land donation by Captain Edward E. Vaill (4). The original school construction comprised of three buildings and the construction was finished in December 1884 (2). The school welcomed its first six students in 1885. The original first three buildings were made of wood and, unfortunately, none of the original buildings from the 1880s have survived the years or the elements (2). Photo courtesy of American Printing House for the Blind (6). The original name of the school was the Florida Institute for the Blind, Deaf and Dumb until 1909 when the Florida legislature changed the name to its current one as the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (4). By 1892, the school enrolled 62 students. On May 23rd, 1898 the school hosted its first graduation ceremony (5). Among the first graduating class participants were two deaf students, Artemas W. Pope and Cora Carlton, who later married each other. Artemas and Cora Pope were the parents of Florida Senator Verle Allyn Pope. Verle A. Pope was known as “the Lion of St. Johns” because he was seen as a champion of the people (7). The first three buildings of the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind. Picture of Governor W.D. Bloxham Photo courtesy of the Florida History Network (5). The 1885 Constitution included details on the governance and financial arrangement for the provision of education in the state but then made clear distinctions between its children. Section 12 of the Constitution reads, “White and VALERIE ETIENNE-LEVEILLE 1 Colored children shall not be taught in the same school, but impartial provision shall be made for both (8). The school maintained the socially accepted separation of girls from boys and Black from White to gain and foster approval from parents in the Florida communities (6). The Sheat’s law, named after the Florida state superintendent of public instruction, was passed in 1895 which stipulated that Blacks and Whites were not to be instructed within the same building and White faculty or staff members could not live in the same building as their Black students (6). That same year, the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind created a separate “Negro Department” to meet the needs of its first Black students. The colored faculty was provided with a lower salary than the White teachers and taught a curriculum that was geared towards “industrial arts” such as broom making rather than on classical academic education. Students workshop for making brooms and cane chair bottom. Photo courtesy of Florida Memory State Library and Archives of Florida (9). Despite the inequalities and severe lack of opportunities during the Jim Crow era, a position at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind was still considered a good job for a young colored professional; therefore, the school attracted talented minority educators. The Florida School for the Deaf and Blind became fully integrated in 1967 (6). Currently, the school is the largest of its type in the United States with 47 buildings on the 72-acre campus. In 2014, the school enrollment reached 1000 students. Around 600 students are currently being served on the 72-acre campus with 400 infants and toddlers being served through a statewide program. References 1. Gallaher, J.E. (2018, October 7). Representation Deaf persons of the United States of America. Franklin Classics. 2. The St Augustine Record. (2016, February 29). The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind. https://www.staugustine.com/article/20160229/NEWS/302299968 3. Gallaudet University. (2021). Gallaudet is a global agent of change. https://www.gallaudet.edu/about 4. Visitstaugustine.com. (2016, January 11). Timeline: Highlights of the 132-year history of Florida School for the Deaf and Blind. http://visitstaug.com/timeline-highlights-of-the-132-year-history-of-florida-school-for-the-deaf-and-blind/ 5. Florida History Network. (n.d.). May 23, 1898: School for Deaf & Blind graduates first students. http://www.floridahistorynetwork.com/may-23-1898---school-for-deaf--blind-issues-first-diplomas.html 6. American Printing House for the Blind. (n.d.). Florida Institute for the Blind, Deaf and Dumb, Colored Department (St. Augustine). https://sites.aph.org/museum/programs/colored-schools/florida/ 7. The St Augustine Record. (2010, April 26). A bridge for another lion. https://www.staugustine.com/article/20100426/NEWS/304269986 8. Douglas, M. (2004). Silence and Darkness: Historical Origins of the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind, 1883-1917. Unpublished dissertation. 9. Florida Memory State Library and Archives of Florida. (1938). Students at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind. https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/8003 VALERIE ETIENNE-LEVEILLE 2 .