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Special Collections and University Archives : University Libraries Clarke School for the Deaf Records 1866-2009 approximately 133 boxes (ca. 199 linear ft.) Call no.: MS 742 Collection overview With a $50,000 grant from the philanthropist John Clarke, Gardiner Green Hubbard founded the Clarke Institution for Deaf Mutes in 1867, a school predicated on the importance of acquiring oral skills for children with hearing loss. Opened in Northampton, Mass., under the direction of Harriet B. Rogers, Clarke differed philosophically from schools such as the American School for the Deaf where sign language was used for instruction, stressing speech-reading and speech as the primary methods of communication. With notable supporters such as Alexander Graham Bell, Clarence W. Barron, and Calvin Coolidge and his wife Grace (a former teacher), the school became a pioneer in training teachers in auditory and oral methods and in recognizing the importance of early intervention and mainstreaming children into neighborhood schools. Working in partnership with Smith College, Clarke began offering a master’s degree in Education of the Deaf in 1962. Known as the Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech since 2010, the school has opened additional campuses in Boston (1995), Jacksonville (1996), New York (1999), and Philadelphia (2001). The records of the Clarke School offer rich documentation of the history of oral deaf education in the United States and insight into the experience of deafness in America. The collection includes extensive correspondence of school administrators and teachers, organizational materials, records of the school’s programs, and an essentially complete run of the school’s annual reports and other publications. Background on Clarke School for the Deaf Mabel Hubbard, the four year old daughter of Gardiner Green Hubbard, became deaf from scarlet fever in 1862. At the time, deaf children were often sent to schools and institutions where they learned to communicate using signs. There was no sustained effort in the United States to teach the deaf to speak but Hubbard believed that his daughter could speak and learn like hearing children. Mabel learned to speak with the help of Harriet B. Rogers, who had started tutoring deaf children following European articulation and lip- reading methods in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. After seeing the results of Rogers' tutoring, Hubbard decided to start a school to teach more deaf children to speak. With a $50,000 grant from philanthropist John Clarke and a charter from the Massachusetts State Legislature the Clarke Institution for Deaf Mutes opened in Northampton in 1867. Clarke was the first school in the United States to teach deaf students using the oral method. Clarke differed philosophically from schools such as the American School for the Deaf, where sign language was used for instruction, stressing speech-reading and speech as the primary methods of communication. Clarke continues to use a spoken language program where they teach children to listen and speak rather than use sign language. The goal of the Clarke School then and now, is to help children succeed in mainstream classrooms with their hearing peers. Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone, was involved with the Clarke School and an advocate for oral education for most of his life. Bell had learned from his grandfather and father who were both teachers of speech. In 1871 he came to the Clarke School and began teaching students using Visual Speech, a system of symbols to assist people in speaking words without hearing them which was invented by his father. He eventually developed his own method of teaching speech and lip-reading to deaf children. Bell's endorsement of oral education led to sign language being eliminated in many schools and to a new national focus to mainstream deaf children with hearing children. Bell considered his greatest contribution to be his work on behalf of oral education rather than the invention of the telephone. In addition to Alexander Graham Bell, Clarke School supporters include Grace Coolidge and Clarence W. Barron. Grace Coolidge taught at the Clarke School for the Deaf after earning her bachelor's Degree. Teaching deaf children continued to be important to her and her husband, President Calvin Coolidge, throughout their lives. Financial journalist Clarence W. Barron initiated the school's first endowment campaign, and the research department was named in his honor. Clarke School has been a leader in the training of teachers as well as in the education of deaf children. A formal teacher education program was started by Caroline A. Yale in 1889 to prepare teachers for the Clarke School to teach in the oral method. In 1962, in collaboration with Smith College, they began offering a Masters in Deaf Education (M.e.D.) program. The program with Smith College ended in 2015 and Clarke School established a relationship with Fontbonne University. Fontbonne University, located in St. Louis offers online classes with the opportunity to work in one of the Clarke School locations. In 2010 the school was renamed to Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech to reflect their mission of teaching children who are deaf and hard of hearing how to listen and talk. Today the Clarke School has four locations; Northampton, Boston (1995), Jacksonville (1996), New York (1999), and Philadelphia (2001). Clarke serves children from birth to age 15 through early intervention programs, preschool classes, elementary and middle school classes, and mainstreaming and speech and language services. Scope of collection The records of the Clarke School offer rich documentation of the history of oral deaf education in the United States and insight into the experience of deafness in America. The collection includes extensive correspondence of school administrators and teachers, organizational materials, records of the school's programs, and an essentially complete run of the school's annual reports and other publications. Series descriptions Series 1. Administration 1867-2009 The administrative records of the Clarke School includes correspondence of school administrators, financial information, presidents' records, and student files. It also contains records of events and organizations that the administration of the Clarke School were heavily involved in, including the Alexander Graham Bell Association, International Conference on Oral Education of the Deaf, and the Clarke School Parent's Conference. Alexander Graham Bell used funds from inventing the telephone to found the Volta Bureau which aimed to spread awareness and information about the deaf. The organization was later renamed the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. The Alexander Graham Bell Association supports oral education in the United States and throughout the world, aiming to ensure that everybody with hearing loss has the opportunity to listen, talk, and thrive in mainstream society. The Alexander Graham Bell Association has been closely connected with the Clarke School through their shared interest in oral education. Many presidents and educators of the Clarke School have worked for AG Bell and served on its boards. International Conference on Oral Education of the Deaf (ICOED) was held at the Clarke School and Lexington School for the Deaf in New York, N.Y. in June 1967 to commemorate a century of oral education in the United States (1867-1967) and to celebrate the centennial of Clarke School and their sister school. The conference was endorsed by the Alexander Graham Bell Association of the Deaf. It included short courses, and talks by deaf educators from around the world. The Clarke School Parents' Conference was established in 1947. The Parents' Conference was organized for the purpose of carrying out the following objectives: (1) to provide services for the parents of children attending, or likely to attend Clarke School, especially the parents of newly enrolled children; (2) to educate the public; (30 to promote the education of all members; and (4) to assist in the necessary adjustment of the "Post-Clarke Period" of the children of the school. Series 2. Publications 1869-2009 Language: Letter in German. The Clarke School produced a variety of publications throughout the years. There is a nearly complete run of annual reports, covering the years 1867 to 1981. Annual reports contain statistics, historical information, reports of the president, and information about staff, trustees, and the school. There are also President's Reports from 1988-2005. The Clarke School Alumni Bulletin covers 1924-1999. The bulletin was produced by Alumni and includes interviews, updates about alumni and the Clarke School, and information about reunions. There are three student newspapers Cougar Paws, Wise Owl, and The Clarke School Star that offer a perspective from the current students. The Clarke School Star operated from 1948- 1984. The Wise Owl was the Middle School newspaper from 1974-1982. Cougar Paws was produced by the Newspaper Club of the upper school from 1991-2000. The Clarke School Echo was a newsletter produced by the Parents Conference from 1965-1967. The newsletter contained information about deafness, what is being done to help the deaf, and updates about what is happening at Clarke. The Clarke School has produced multiple newsletters. Clarke School Speaks from 1957-2011 and Clarke Today from 1993-2000. Both of these newsletters provide updates about what is happening and planned at the Clarke School. Mainstream News (1981-2000)

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