The History of Gallaudet University: 150 Years of a Deaf American Institution

4. Deaf President Now, March 6–13, 1988

Deaf President Now, March 6–13, 1988 CHAPTER 4 p T he Gallaudet Board of Trustees met on Sunday, March 6, 1988, at the Mayflower Hotel in downtown Washington, DC, for its final deliberations on the choice of a new president. Suspicions arose on campus because of the off-campus location, which ran contrary to the board’s usual practice of meeting in the Edward Miner Gallaudet Building. Students, faculty, staff, alumni, and other concerned individuals began gathering on campus in anticipation of the board’s announcement, which was scheduled for eight o’clock p.m.However,around six o’clock,an alumnus and a student stopped by the Public Relations Office to see if there was any news, and there they saw a press release declaring Gallaudet University Appoints First Woman President. The Board of Trustees is confident that Dr. Elisabeth Ann Zinser will prove to be an effective and innovative leader who will represent Gallaudet University with distinction.1 A shocked and angry crowd gathered on Florida Avenue, where speakers began urging them not to give up. At one point, Gary Olsen, executive director of the NAD, suggested that they march to the Mayflower Hotel, a distance of about three miles, to demand an explanation.2 When they arrived at the hotel, the hotel manager refused to let them in the lobby. After a while, board chair Jane Bassett Spilman agreed to meet with a few representatives, along with board members Phil Bravin and Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson, on the third floor of the hotel.What happened at this meeting has become the stuff of DPN legend. In particular, some of the deaf participants claim that Spilman made a remark to the effect that deaf people are not able to function in a hearing world. Some of those present claimed that she said it, others that she did not.3 Because Spilman could not sign, the question hinged to some extent on whether or not her interpreter had presented her comments correctly. But that in itself created an issue in the minds of many deaf people— how was it that the chair of the Gallaudet board did not possess even rudimentary sign language skills? To some, this would appear tantamount to the board chair at Harvard not knowing English. Whether Spilman actually made this comment or not, the board’s action in appointing Zinser was widely interpreted as implying that they believed it. The usual excuse for not installing a deaf president was that deaf people could not communicate effectively with the outside world, especially government officials and potential donors (the  House One, home of the Gallaudet presidents. 106 the history of gallaudet university inability of a nonsigning hearing person to communicate with deaf people at Gallaudet never seemed to be an issue). Another excuse stated that perhaps deaf people lacked adequate management and organizational skills.The eventual actions of the Deaf community during the DPN protest effectively refuted this prejudice. All that was ever offered in support of Zinser’s appointment was that she appeared to be a rising star in American higher education and that the two deaf finalists needed more experience. Following the small meeting inside the hotel, Spilman addressed the crowd outside, some of whom had already left to march elsewhere in Washington rather than wait any longer for her. This larger meeting did nothing to dispel the anger of the protesters or help to convince them that Zinser was a good choice for president. During the course of the meeting, Spilman was asked if she could sign (answer: no), how long she had been a board member (answer: eight years), and why Zinser was judged more qualified than the two deaf The campus as it looked in the late 1980s. The early half of that decade had seen many changes with the renovation and construction of many buildings, including Kendall Demonstration Elementary School, Model Secondary School for the Deaf, the Field House, and the Merrill Learning Center. 107 deaf president now, march 6–13, 1988 finalists to serve as president even though she had no background in deafness and an advanced degree in nursing, a subject not taught at the liberal-artsoriented Gallaudet University. Spilman did not respond to this last question but indicated her willingness to attend a forum on campus on Monday to discuss this and other questions with the campus community.This forum was then scheduled for 1...