Kansas State School For the Deaf
Encyclopedia
The Kansas School For the Deaf, is a K-12 school, located in downtown Olathe, Kansas
. In 1866, it became the first school for the deaf established in the state of Kansas
, and today it remains the largest. Originally named the "Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb", the name has been changed several times to conform to prevailing sensibilities about deafness. Students and staff often refer to the school as "KSD."
, about 25 miles southwest of its current location.Historical Highlight - Kansas School for the Deaf>http://www.ksdeaf.org/About/history.php
Within five years, the school received state funding and a new location in Olathe. In 1885 the thriving institution changed its name to Kansas Institution for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb. Its emphasis, influenced by the work of Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet
, was on integrating deaf students into society, rather than housing them apart from it.
From the beginning KSD emphasized vocational training. Leather working, baking, sewing, printmaking and other trades were incorporated into the curriculum. Vocational training continues to be an integral part of the KSD experience to this day.
who pitched for the New York Giants from 1900 to 1908. In addition to football and baseball, the school has also had active wrestling, track, basketball, cheerleading and volleyball programs. Athletic teams play both area public schools and other state deaf schools from the region.
Olathe, Kansas
Olathe is a city in and the county seat of Johnson County, Kansas, United States. Located in northeastern Kansas, it is also the fifth most populous city in the state, with a population of 125,872 at the 2010 census. As a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, Olathe is the fourth-largest city in the...
. In 1866, it became the first school for the deaf established in the state of Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, and today it remains the largest. Originally named the "Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb", the name has been changed several times to conform to prevailing sensibilities about deafness. Students and staff often refer to the school as "KSD."
History
The school was founded in 1861 by Phillip A. Emery, a deaf person who had taught briefly at Indiana School for the Deaf before coming to Kansas the previous year. He began educating deaf students from the attic of a small house in Baldwin City, KansasBaldwin City, Kansas
Baldwin City is a city in Douglas County, Kansas, United States about south of Lawrence and west of Gardner. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 4,515. It is part of the Lawrence, Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, about 25 miles southwest of its current location.Historical Highlight - Kansas School for the Deaf>http://www.ksdeaf.org/About/history.php
Within five years, the school received state funding and a new location in Olathe. In 1885 the thriving institution changed its name to Kansas Institution for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb. Its emphasis, influenced by the work of Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet
Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet
Reverend Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, LL.D., was a renowned American pioneer in the education of the Deaf. Along with Laurent Clerc and Mason Cogswell, he co-founded the first institution for the education of the Deaf in North America, and he became its first principal...
, was on integrating deaf students into society, rather than housing them apart from it.
From the beginning KSD emphasized vocational training. Leather working, baking, sewing, printmaking and other trades were incorporated into the curriculum. Vocational training continues to be an integral part of the KSD experience to this day.
Sports
Like many schools, KSD encourages students to participate in athletics. It adopted sports very early on, The football team began in 1899, and the basketball team in 1903. Perhaps the most famous KSD alumnus is Dummy TaylorDummy Taylor
Luther Haden "Dummy" Taylor was a deaf-mute American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1900 to 1908...
who pitched for the New York Giants from 1900 to 1908. In addition to football and baseball, the school has also had active wrestling, track, basketball, cheerleading and volleyball programs. Athletic teams play both area public schools and other state deaf schools from the region.