" »' OF THE Ohio School For The Deaf 1869-1949 • use 5, OHIO ^•5B3€S3^H PRICE $2.10 PER CDF p In dear old Columbus town OF THE Where we all love to meet, Stands our dear 0. S. D. Full of joys and memories sweet, Ohio School For The Deaf And the spirit that we find there, Growing up so strong and true, Brings us back to friendships made there. 1869-1949 Oh, 0. S. D. we stand by you! And the path of life we must tread, Back to us come sweet memories Of those school days to us not dead. Once more we long to see the teachers, Who helped us on our way. Oh, we love you, Alma Mater! 0. S. D., O. S. D. INCLUDING We'll always think of you And no matter what befalls us GALLALDET COLLEGE 0. S. D., we'll ever be true. Entrants From Ohio Grace (Garrison) Slokan CLASS SINCE 1864 An 80-Year Record k 4 %\\\B Book is dedicated to WM 25th triennial Reunion of %\iz Ohio School for the ©eaf 3tlumni association at Columbus, Ohio on September 2,3,4 & 5 W9 Copyright—1949 by THE REUNION RALPH E. LIN WEBER There'll be a reunion Happy embraces and smiles TOLEDO, OHIO Come, this Fall Warm hand-clasp of friends. Hark! To the gathering, Long parted by miles This is the call. What a gay gathering! Come meet your friends So much gay chattering! Greet one and all. Please be there friends. 1 Page 2 GRADUATION CLASSES OF THE OHIO SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF Page 3 State Department nded 1829 Clyde Hissong of Education Supt. of Public Instruction OHIO SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF E. R. Abernathy, Superintendent Columbu s 15, Ohio March 2, 1949 Mr. Ralph E. Lin Weber 1916 Cone Street Toledo 6, Ohio Dear Mr. Lin Weber: The assembling of detailed information on former students over a long period of time is a considerable undertaking. This is par­ ticularly true in an undertaking such as the present one, wherein you present data on graduating classes over a period of eighty years. I know personally of the extreme care you have exercised, and the extent to which you have gone in order to obtain accurate in­ formation. It has been a heavy task and it will be appreciated by former students who are fortunate enough to possess a copy of your book. It is a reference work that will bring back fond memories to "old grads." I compliment you on the thorough job you have done so unselfishly for the enjoy­ ment of others. Sincerely yours, <z.Q..GitozcC\c%. DR. EDWARD R. ABERNATHY SUPERINTENDENT *\ OF THE OHIO SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF ERA/lha Page 4 GRADUATION CLASSES OF THE OHIO SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF Page 5 TESTIMONIALS From the President of the Ohio School for the Deaf Alumni TESTIMONIALS Association Dear Mr. Lin Weber : From the Oldest Living Graduate and of Professional Baseball Fame. May I congratulate you on your ingenious research, entitled "Graduation Classes of the Ohio School for the Deaf—1869-1949." You surely have made a real contribution to us, thus saving our time in searching the where­ My Dear Friend :— abouts of our friends in their adult life. It is a veritable mine of information and Mr. Lin Weber's history of the "Graduating should prove of great value not only to graduates Classes of the Ohio School for the Deaf" from but to former students and outsiders as well. 1869 to 1949 is published in the interest of the deaf Anyone who may possess one of your copies will find it very useful and call you blessed. in general. It is unquestionably accurate and May I again commend your work and may should prove a valuable document in connection your contribution to the research bring great suc­ with the Ohio School for the Deaf. cess to you. Sincerely, Yours as ever, ^v^i^/, -7^Utt>cu^- <£. $6Crw From the Former Senior Class Teacher on a Long Term Dear Ralph:— A slow and careful going through of your work, From the Oldest Living Gallaudet College Entrant and a Graduate "Graduation Classes of the Ohio School for the Deaf, of the College. 1869-1949", astonished me in that this amount of information can be compiled in so compact a form. Accept my praise for the patience and perseverance that necessarily went Dear Mr. Lin Weber : with collecting this data. Your correspondence must have been large and your postage bill high. I have read with much interest the proofsheets of your forth-coming work on the record of names Hereafter, any item of information contained in the of graduates of the Ohio School for the Deaf book will relieve the Superintendent's Office of the necessity of dragging out from the safe those several large register from 1869 to 1949. I do feel that this will be volumes; will, also, relieve the Principal's Office of the in­ a valuable contribution to the archives of the convenience entailed in a search for dusty volumes stored school. away in forgotten places; and further will relieve the There is no doubt in my mind that it will searcher of the necessity of going through the many volumes excite a good many fond memories of achievements of the Chronicle in the Institution Library and, older ones, and failures both in school and on the playgrounds. stored away in the Power House. All of this inconvenience Many pranks and romances will undoubtedly be has been put to an end by your work. I congratulate you recalled by your work. for such a convenience. I am proud to have had you in one of my classes Wishing you complete success in your praise­ back in the late twenties and to know that you are making worthy and laborious undertaking, I am good. Yours very truly, Cordially yours, Page 6 GRADUATION CLASSES OF THE OHIO SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF Page 7 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH Ralph Elliott LinWeber, whose likeness is reproduced for this sketch, is of German and English extraction. The place of his birth is in Rossford, Ohio, a southwestern suburb of Toledo, in the year 1908, on March 6th. An oddity noted is that Ralph and his mother were born in the same farm house on 138 Glenwood Road which house was built by his grandfather in 1875. Jotted down here are a few facts of interest pertaining to the family history. Harvey M. LinWeber is the name of his father who migrated to Toledo from Pennsylvania around the turn of the century The rest of the paternal relatives, presumably remained in their native State. It is different on his mother's side whose forebears were pioneer settlers of Wood County. The grandparents, Elliott Martin Warner and his wife (Margaret Ellen Brown), owned a fruit farm at the nearby site of Rossford, even own­ ing the site of the present stately Rossford High School. Ralph can point with pardonable pride to the fact that a member of the line, Marshall Bay Brown, a cousin, was professional baseball catcher for Toledo in 1888. Things began to change in 1899 when the Edward M. Ford Plate Glass Co. built a plant and later combined with the world famous Libbey-Owens-Ford Glass Co. Houses had to be built to shelter the workers and that brought into being the little town of Rossford. The problem of Ralph's education was, at first, attended to by the Toledo Public Schools. Then it was discovered that his hearing was slightly defective, enough so, to necessitate taking, him out and to try placing him in the Ohio School for the Deaf at Columbus. The try out resulted in a better fit because he remained there from 1918 to 1928. By the time he left school, he had reached the eleventh grade. While in High School he had, at different times, been under the tutelage of James M. Steward, Lyana L. Dyer, Mary M. Frost, and John C. Winemiller. It is on record that at present his hearing residue is sufficient to carry on a close conversation,, to listen in on the radio, and, also, to use the telephone. He married Betty Jean Landis of Dutch ancestry and from Piqua, Ohio. RALPH E. LIN WEBER She is the daughter of Mrs. Raymond Landis, nee Mary Edith Armstrong, of the Class of 1918. Upon the death of Mr. Landis she remarried to Thad- EDITOR OF THE GRADUATION CLASSES OF deus Death Anderson of the Anderson Lumber Company of Franklin, Ohio. THE OHIO SCHOOL FOR DEAF At work preparing 80 years of the Graduating Classes Ralph's hobby is stamp collecting, but he later included writing base­ material into one volume. ball history which pastime he has pursued ever since. It was a big accom­ plishment to finish the compilation of a 385 page book on baseball entitled: "The Toledo Baseball Guide of the ' Mud Hens." 2000 copies of this work have been sold. The volume covers the records of 1340 names of Toledo professional baseball players from 1883 to 1943, a period of 60 years. OHIO SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF Page 9 Page 8 GRADUATION CLASSES OF THE A cherished ambition was to compile a complete record or as com­ plete as possible, of the rolls of the graduating classes of his Alma Mater. This meant much work since commencement exercises were started as an annual event as far back as 1869; it meant grinding work to collect, compile, and condense this bulky data. Deaf friends urged and prodded him ' to shoulder this worthy task, more so, since the School has never attempted any such work.