DPN: A history--What Happened...

What Happened...

The spark that ignited DPN was the announcement on March 6, 1988, by the University's Board of Trustees that a hearing person had been selected as Gallaudet's seventh president. In the months—or by some accounts, the years—leading up this date, many in the deaf community and on campus had advocated for a deaf person to be named to the presidency. After all, by then there were more than 100 deaf people with doctorates, and many more who held administrative positions. Because of this, and because two of the three finalists for the position were deaf, many people were confident that the next president of Gallaudet would be a deaf person.

[photo of Elisabeth Zinser] However, in spite of all the evidence and support, the Board chose the lone hearing candidate, Elisabeth A. Zinser, who was then the assistant chancellor at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. Unhappy with this decision, Gallaudet students, backed by a number of alumni, staff, and faculty, shut down the campus.

The students and their backers then presented the Board of Trustees with four demands:
1) Elisabeth Zinser must resign and a deaf person selected president;
2) Jane Spilman must step down as chairperson of the Board of Trustees;
3) deaf people must constitute a 51% majority on the Board; and
4) there would no reprisals against any student or employee involved in the protest.

By the end of the week, the students ended their protest and proclaimed victory. All of their demands had been met and Dr. I. King Jordan was named the Gallaudet's eighth—and first—deaf president.

But let's go back to the beginning...

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Photo of Elisabeth Zinser by Yoon Lee.
Photo of the four demands by Chun Louie.
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Last modified February 18, 1998