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HISTORY
AND TIMELINE
Founders
Edmund Booth (1810 - 1905) and William E. Ijams (1830 - 1893) are the
founders
of Iowa School for the Deaf. Booth, an Iowa resident, became deafened
at the
age of 8 and received his formal schooling at the Hartford School for
the Deaf
in Connecticut. After moving back to Iowa, he held several political
positions
and lobbied the Iowa legislature to start a state school for the deaf.
1854
Ijams opened a private school for the deaf in Iowa City. He also
lobbied the state
to begin a school for the deaf and presented his pupils at an Iowa Hall
of
Representatives assembly in 1854. On Jan. 24, 1855, Senate File No. 51
passed
and the Iowa Institute for the Deaf and Dumb was born.
1855
The school was opened in "Goose Town," a Bohemian section of Iowa
City. The first 21 pupils ranged in age from 11 to 27 and were from the
eastern
part of the state. As word spread about the first school for the deaf,
enrollment grew and the school soon needed larger quarters.
1870
In 1870, the school moved to Council Bluffs. The location was selected
because
it was readily accessible by railroads and the 80-acre tract of land
was
purchased for a bargain price of $1,200. The school was a
self-sustaining
entity with its own farm, power plant and hospital. Students learned
traditional subjects but also were provided a variety of trades
classes,
including baking, shoe repair, furniture making and domestic work. (Drawing of ISD from 1875 Andreas Atlas Co.)
1932
Full high school diplomas, recognized by the state of Iowa, were first
awarded
to pupils in 1932. Previously, students simply progressed through the
coursework and left school upon completing the classes.
1953
The Board of Control first governed the school. By 1953, the Board of
Regents,
State of Iowa, held governance.
1974
Public Law 94-142 (Education of All Handicapped Children) passed in
1974, and
eventually radically changed the enrollment of ISD, as it did with all
schools
for the deaf in the United States. The law mandated local school
districts
provide special education services to those residing in the districts.
1984
ISD's largest graduating class was in 1984, with 63 pupils. This was
due to an
outbreak of rubella in mothers some 18 years earlier which caused
deafness in
many babies throughout the country. Enrollment grew to keep up with the
need
for special education for these children, and ISD had nearly 400 pupils
on
campus.
1998
Nebraska School for the Deaf, which was located in Omaha, closed in
1998. An
agreement between Nebraska and Iowa enables Nebraska's children who are
deaf or
hard-of-hearing to attend ISD.
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