Manuscripts - The Mervin D. Garretson Papers, 1963-1989 - Manuscript Collection

MSS 218

Garretson, Mervin D., 1923-2013

The Mervin D. Garretson Papers, 1963-1989

Gallaudet University Archives

Descriptive Summary

Repository: Gallaudet University Archives

Call No.: MSS 218

Creator: Garretson, Mervin D., 1923-2013

Title: The Mervin D. Garretson Papers, 1963-1989

Quantity: 21 boxes (10.5 linear feet)

Abstract: Papers of deaf activist, educator, and administrator Mervin D. Garretson. Includes correspondence, speeches, reports, articles and clippings, essays and publications, and more.

Note: This document last updated May 2017.

Administrative Information

Acquisition Information: Donated to the Archives by Stephen Weiner.

Processed By: Christopher Shea, May 2017.

Processing Note:

Conditions on Use and Access: This collection is open to the public with no restrictions.

Related Material in the Archives

Manuscripts

Collection, Junior National Association of the Deaf, 1967-1988. Gallaudet University Archives, call number: MSS 94

Photographs

Assorted photographs of Mervin D. Garretson. Gallaudet University Archives, call number: Portraits

Vertical Files

Garretson, Merv. Gallaudet University Archives, call number: Deaf Biographical

Video

Twelfth Commencement, Model Secondary School for the Deaf, June 15, 1990. Gallaudet University Archives, call number: Deaf Film
Model Secondary School for the Deaf 1994 commencement. Gallaudet University Archives, call number: Deaf Film

Biographical Sketch

Born in 1923 in Sheridan, Wyoming, Merv Garretson became deaf after contracting spinal meningitis in 1928. He attended the Colorado School for the Deaf and Gallaudet College, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 1947. He went on to teach at the Maryland School for the Deaf and then was hired in 1949 as the principal of the Montana School for the Deaf. In 1955, he earned a master’s degree from the University of Wyoming, and he also pursued a doctorate in English at the University of Maryland. In 1962, Garretson joined the Gallaudet faculty. When the Model Secondary School for the Deaf was founded in 1971, Garretson was the first principal. He went on to become assistant dean for pre-college programs and served for many years as a special assistant to four Gallaudet presidents (Merrill, Johns, Lee, and Jordan) before stepping down in 1989. That year, he was also chairman of The Deaf Way, an international cultural festival that brought attention to deaf art and culture and is regarded as the birthplace of the De’VIA art movement.

Garretson was also active in many deaf organizations, particularly the National Association for the Deaf. In 1960, he helped found the Junior NAD and became its first national director, and was elected NAD President for a two-year term in 1976. He was later selected to become interim executive director of the NAD in 1989. He was also a board member of the World Federation of the Deaf from 1967 to 1971 and served as an expert on education for the WFD. A widely respected writer, poet, speaker, and world traveler, Garretson was a leading figure in the deaf community and a well-known advocate for deaf issues in the hearing world. He published his autobiography in 2010 and passed away in 2013. Gallaudet maintains a scholarship fund named for Garretson and his wife, Carol.

Scope and Content

These papers deal mostly with Garretson’s work as an assistant to Gallaudet’s presidents, and to a lesser extent his work as an advocate for the deaf and a leader of the deaf community. There is nothing related to his earlier life or his work at MSSD, and only a small amount of material from his work at The Deaf Way. Garretson’s correspondence as the presidential assistant is arranged in several series based on the recipients, reflecting his original arrangement. There is only a small amount of correspondence between Garretson and two of the presidents he served, Merrill and Lee; most of the rest are with various people and groups seeking help or advice from the Office of the President. Of possible interest is a large collection of reports from Gallaudet’s Deafness-Related Concerns Council from the late 1970s and early 1980s.

There is also some material related to Garretson’s work at the NAD and a smaller amount from the WFD. The NAD material includes board minutes, convention records, and publications, and position papers. The WFD material is mostly publications by the group, but it does include some material from their Commission on Pedagogy, where Garretson served. These papers also include the text of numerous speeches and papers that Garretson gave at events around the country. While this is far from a complete collection of Garretson’s writing, it helps give a picture of the issues he worked on and the issues that were of the most concern to the deaf community in the 1980s. In particular, there is extensive material on Public Law 94-142, which affected the placement of deaf children in school, and other laws governing deaf education.

Series Descriptions

Series 1. Presidential assistant correspondence, 1976-1989

Boxes 1-3

Correspondence and other materials related to Garretson’s work as a special assistant to several of Gallaudet’s presidents. See series 3, 4, and 6 for further correspondence. Includes correspondence with Presidents Edward C. Merrill and Jerry Lee, and correspondence and reports with various departments and organizations around campus.

Series 2. NAD and WFD papers, 1977-1988

Boxes 3-5

Correspondence, reports, convention minutes, publications, and other materials related to Garretson’s work with the National Association for the Deaf and the World Federation of the Deaf. Includes minutes and reports from the NAD board of directors, as well as some material from the 1982, 1984, and 1986 NAD conventions.

Series 3. Alphabetical correspondence file, 1976-1989

Boxes 6-7

File of correspondence, mostly with individuals, arranged alphabetically by correspondent’s surname. Most is to or from Garretson in his capacity as assistant to the president.

Series 4. Geographical correspondence file, 1977-1989

Boxes 7-9

Another file of correspondence, also related to Garretson’s work as assistant to the president. This file is arranged alphabetically by the location of the correspondent – mostly US states, but there is some international material as well. Most of this correspondence is to various state entities, such as schools and state government agencies. Note that one file from Pennsylvania is closed because it includes the audiograms of a student, which are considered confidential medical records.

Series 5. Organizational records, 1967-1989

Boxes 10-13

A collection of correspondence, reports, publications, and other materials from various organizations. Most are groups related to deafness, including the National Theatre of the Deaf, DCARA, the Canadian Hearing Society, and the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. However, this series also includes material from groups related to general disability issues, including the AARP, FDA, Disabled American Veterans, and the President’s Committee on Employment of the Handicapped.

Series 6. Deafness-Related Concerns Council reports and correspondence, 1979-1986

Boxes 13-14

The DRCC was an organization of deaf faculty and staff at Gallaudet organized to bring the attention of the (then mostly hearing-dominated) administration to issues of access, communication, and training that they felt were being neglected. Garretson was not a member of the DRCC but as assistant to the president, he often interacted with the group. In 1986, President Lee gave the DRCC a formal position in his administration as the President’s Council on Deafness. This series includes minutes of DRCC meetings, reports written by the DRCC on issues they wanted addressed, and some correspondence.

Series 7. Advocacy materials, 1969-1986

Boxes 15-16

A collection of articles, correspondence, reports, and other items related to issues of interest to the deaf. Topics covered include education, closed captioning, deaf drivers, cued speech, cochlear implants, and more. Includes speeches and papers delivered by Garretson on deafness, deaf children, and advocacy on deaf issues. See series 8 and 9 for more of Garretson’s work in this area.

Series 8. PL 94-142 and other educational materials, 1975-1988

Boxes 17-19

Public Law 94-142, also known as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, was signed by President Ford in 1975. While it expanded the educational opportunities available for disabled children, its provision that children should be placed in the “least restrictive environment” often sparked battles between deaf parents and school boards over what type of education was best for deaf children. This series includes fact sheets, notes, and reports on PL 94-142 and other laws governing deaf education; clippings and documents from the cases of Amy Rowley and Sherry Grace; and papers and speeches by Garretson on the topic of deaf education. See series 9 for more on law and the deaf.

Series 9. Legal articles and documents, 1963-1986

Boxes 19-21

A collection of articles, papers, speeches, and court documents on issues related to law, legislation, and the deaf. Includes some materials related to laws governing deaf education, including PL 94-142 (see series 8). Also of interest is a collection of testimony and comments on a 1978 bill in the US Congress to provide for nationwide training of sign language interpreters, as well as materials on mental health, rehabilitation, and barriers to handicapped access.

**Table**
Box	Folder	Name	Year(s)
1	1	Bernard Bragg correspondence	1977-1984
1	2	Career Information Registry forms	Undated
1	3	Citations and programs from commencement	1984-1985
1	4	Correspondence and catalogs on continuing education	1980-1988
1	5	Correspondence and reports on central administration	1985-1986
1	6	Correspondence and zoning for Northwest Campus	1982-1983
1	7	Correspondence on bookstore	1988
1	8	Correspondence on compensation system	1988
1	9	Correspondence on honorary board for The Deaf Way	1988
1	10	Correspondence on MSSD	1976-1986
1	11	Correspondence on The Deaf Way	1988-1989
1	12	Development office correspondence	1988
1	13	Edward C. Merrill correspondence	1980
1	14	Gallaudet Research Institute reports and minutes	1980-1982
2	1	General correspondence	1978-1986
2	2	Goals and deadlines	1977-1980
2	3	Honorary degree citations	1985-1989
2	4	International Student Services correspondence	1985
2	5	Jerry Lee correspondence	1984-1987
2	6	Letters of acknowledgment	1979-1989
2	7	Letters of acknowledgment	1979-1989
2	8	Liaison team correspondence	1980-1981
2	9	National Academy correspondence and minutes	1980-1984
3	1	Office of Business Affairs correspondence	1980-1984
3	2	Office of Planning reports	1980
3	3	Outreach Council correspondence and reports	1981-1986
3	4	“Peggy” [Frances] Parsons correspondence	1979-1986
3	5	Position papers	1979-1982
3	6	Reference letters	1981-1987
3	7	Report on institutional research	1986
3	8	Report on National Center for Law and the Deaf	1984
3	9	Reports and correspondence on Kendall Schol	1976-1982
3	10	Student Body Government correspondence	1984-1987
3	11	NAD board reports and minutes	1980
3	12	NAD board reports and minutes	1981
3	13	NAD board reports and minutes	1981-1982
4	1	NAD budget reports	1980-1982
4	2	NAD bylaws	1979
4	3	NAD correspondence	1975-1983
4	4	NAD feasibility study and press release on branch office	1977-1979
4	5	NAD history and grant application for Communication Skills Program	1977
4	6	NAD legislative committee correspondence	1983
4	7	NAD minutes and papers	1981-1988
4	8	NAD minutes and reports	1981-1983
4	9	NAD 1982 convention list of chairs	1982
4	10	NAD 1984 convention minutes and newsletters	1984
4	11	NAD 1984 convention minutes and newsletters	1984
5	1	NAD 1986 convention records	1986
5	2	NAD notes and correspondence	1981-1982
5	3	NAD policies	1978-1979
5	4	NAD position papers and minutes	1984-1986
5	5	NAD project description for Political Action Network	1981
5	6	NAD reports and planning guide	1981-1982
5	7	NAD speakers’ bureau correspondence and lists	Undated
5	8	WFD Commission on Pedagogy correspondence and reports	1981-1982
5	9	WFD papers and publications	1976-1983
5	10	WFD papers and publications	1983-1987
5	11	Yerker Andersson correspondence	1984-1986
6	1	Correspondence: A	1985-1988
6	2	Correspondence: B	1985-1988
6	3	Correspondence: C	1982-1989
6	4	Correspondence: D	1976-1989
6	5	Correspondence: D	1976-1989
6	6	Correspondence: E	1986
6	7	Correspondence: F	1981-1989
6	8	Correspondence: G	1985-1989
6	9	Correspondence: H	1985-1989
6	10	Correspondence: J	1981-1989
6	11	Correspondence: K	1982-1988
6	12	Correspondence: L	1980-1989
6	13	Correspondence: M	1986-1989
6	14	Correspondence: N	1986-1988
6	15	Correspondence: O	1981-1987
6	16	Correspondence: P	1981-1989
6	17	Correspondence: Q-R	1981-1989
7	1	Correspondence: S	1979-1988
7	2	Correspondence: T	1980-1987
7	3	Correspondence: U-V	1982-1989
7	4	Correspondence: W	1982-1988
7	5	Correspondence: X-Z	1987
7	6	Correspondence: foreign	1986-1989
7	7	Correspondence: interdepartmental	1987-1989
7	8	Alabama	1986-1987
7	9	Alaska	1979-1984
7	10	Argentina	1985
7	11	Arizona	1981-1984
7	12	Arkansas	1982
7	13	Bahamas	1984
7	14	Brazil	1988
7	15	California	1977-1986
8	1	Canada	1984-1988
8	2	Chile	1985-1989
8	3	Colorado	1986-1988
8	4	Connecticut	1987
8	5	Delaware	1982
8	6	District of Columbia	1981
8	7	England	1985-1987
8	8	Florida	1984-1989
8	9	Hawaii	1983
8	10	Idaho	1986
8	11	Illinois	1979-1988
8	12	Indiana	1982-1987
8	13	Iowa	1985
8	14	Kentucky	1981-1986
8	15	Louisiana	1982-1986
8	16	Maine	1982-1989
8	17	Maryland	1988-1989
8	18	Massachusetts	1978-1987
8	19	Michigan	1985
8	20	Minnesota	1987
8	21	Mississippi	1981-1988
8	22	Missouri	1986
8	23	Montana	1978-1987
9	1	Nebraska	1982-1988
9	2	New Hampshire	1990
9	3	New Jersey	1977-1984
9	4	New Mexico	1988
9	5	New York	1988
9	6	North Carolina	1984-1988
9	7	Ohio	1984
9	8	Oklahoma	1982-1987
9	9	Pennsylvania	1982-1987
9	10	Pennsylvania (closed file)	1977-1987
9	11	Rhode Island	1979-1984
9	12	South Carolina	1982-1986 1982-1986
9	13	Tennessee	1986
9	14	Texas	1988-1989
9	15	Utah	1984-1989
9	16	Virginia	1984-1988
9	17	Washington	1985-1986
9	18	West Virginia	1986-1987
9	19	Wisconsin	1987
9	20	Wyoming	1979-1989
10	1	AARP correspondence and reports	1978-1981
10	2	ADARA reports and correspondence	1977-1982
10	3	Aleander Graham Bell Association newsletters and correspondence	1979-1987
10	4	American Association of Higher Education conference program and memo	1979
10	5	American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities correspondence and reports	1978-1981
10	6	CEASD correspondence and reports	1978-1985
10	7	Consortium of Universities articles of incorporation and bylaws	1967-1973
10	8	Correspondence and survey on CSUN	1977-1978
10	9	Correspondence with Canadian Hearing Society	1979
10	10	Council for Exceptional Children correspondence	1980
10	11	Council of Organizations Serving the Deaf forum reports	1971-1980
11	1	Council of Organizations Serving the Deaf reports and newsletters	1967-1976
11	2	Council on the Education of Deaf articles and correspondence	1976-1986
11	3	DCARA report and newsletters	1979-1980
11	4	Deafness Research and Training Center (NYU) reports	1980-1981
11	5	Deafpride, Inc., correspondence and bylaws	1979-1982
11	6	Disabled American Veterans symposium transcript	1983
11	7	Exceptional Parent magazine	1979
11	8	Food and Drug Administration publications and agenda	1979-1981
11	9	Handicapped Americans Reports newsletters	1980-1981
11	10	HEAR Foundation proposals and reports	1981-1985
11	11	Helen Keller Center correspondence	1982-1989
11	12	Helen Keller Center correspondence	1982-1989
12	1	International Association of the Parents of the Deaf correspondence	1982-1989
12	2	National Association of Hearing Impaired College Students correspondence	1983-1984
12	3	National Association of State Directors of Special Education correspondence and reports	1977-1980
12	4	National Captioning Institute correspondence and reports	1979-1984
12	5	National Council on Communicative Disorders correspondence	1979
12	6	National Crisis Center for the Deaf correspondence	1981
12	7	National Theatre of the Deaf correspondence and publications	1977-1985
12	8	Northern Essex Community College report	1979
12	9	Office of Handicapped Concerns correspondence	1978
12	10	Phi Alpha Pi constitution	1981
12	11	Planning and Human Systems Inc. reports and agendas	1978-1979
12	12	President’s Committee on Employment handbooks and correspondence	1979-1986
12	13	Quota International correspondence	1978-1984
13	1	Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf correspondence and testimony	1978-1979
13	2	Rehabilitation Service Administration reports and correspondence	1979-1984
13	3	Royal National Institute for the Deaf correspondence	1980
13	4	Sertoma Club minutes and correspondence	1984-1986
13	5	DRCC memos and reports on orientation	1981-1982
13	6	DRCC minutes and reports	1985-1986
13	7	DRCC reports and correspondence	1979-1986
14	1	DRCC reports and correspondence	1979-1986
14	2	DRCC reports and correspondence on employment	1982-1984
14	3	DRCC reports and correspondence on interpreting	1981-1985
14	4	DRCC reports and correspondence on research	1984-1985
14	5	DRCC reports on communications	1980-1984
14	6	DRCC reports on deaf studies	1985
14	7	DRCC reports on deaf studies	1985
14	8	DRCC reports on physical barriers	1981-1983
15	1	Article and speech on George W. Veditz	1977
15	2	Article on Commission on the Education of the Deaf	Undated
15	3	Articles and correspondence on the verbotonal method	1969-1978
15	4	Articles and papers on Civil Rights Commission	1977-1978
15	5	Articles and reports on interpreting	1977-1985
15	6	Articles from Deaf American	1977
15	7	Articles on cochlear implants	1984-1985
15	8	Articles on teletext captioning	1983
15	9	Correspondence and proposals for National Information Center on Deafness	1981-1987
15	10	Correspondence on deaf-blind	1981-1988
15	11	Newsletters and papers on cued speech	1978-1987
15	12	Notes and correspondence on advocacy	1979-1981
15	13	Papers and correspondence on captioned TV	1981-1983
16	1	Questionnaires for public forums	1983
16	2	Reports on deaf drivers	1980-1981
16	3	Reports on rubella	1980-1981
16	4	Speeches and articles on advocacy	1977-1986
16	5	Speeches and articles on advocacy	1977-1986
16	6	Speeches and notes on deaf youth	1978-1986
16	7	Speeches and notes on deaf youth	1978-1986
16	8	Speeches and papers	1980-1986
16	9	Speeches and papers	1980-1986
17	1	Articles and legal documents on Amy Rowley	1979-1982
17	2	Articles and legal documents on Amy Rowley	1979-1982
17	3	Articles and papers on conflict management	Undated
17	4	Articles and reports on PL 94-142	1975-1986
17	5	Articles and reports on PL 94-142	1975-1986
17	6	Articles on education and PL 94-142	1986-1987
17	7	Articles on university status	1983-1987
17	8	Clippings and correspondence on PL 94-142	1985-1986
18	1	Documents on Sherry Grace (PL 94-142)	1980-1981
18	2	Fact sheets and articles on PL 94-142	1975-1980
18	3	Notes and articles on PL 94-142	1977-1984
18	4	Notes and drafts for position papers	1978-1980
18	5	Notes and drafts for position papers	1978-1980
18	6	Notes and reports on federal laws	1982-1983
18	7	Paper on total communication	1983
19	1	Reports and surveys on TDDs	1984-1985
19	2	Resources on parent training for due process under PL 94-142	1978-1980
19	3	Speeches and articles on PL 94-142	1980-1988
19	4	Speeches and papers on deafness for parents	Undated
19	5	Text of federal legislation	1978-1985
19	6	Washington Metropolitan Deaf Alliance newsletter	1981
19	7	White House Conference on Handicapped Individuals papers and correspondence	1977
19	8	Articles and comments on Line 21 captioning	1981-1982
19	9	Articles and correspondence on Section 504	1977-1983
20	1	Documentation and correspondence on Rehabilitation Act of 1978	1978
20	2	Mental health correspondence and articles	1980-1983
20	3	Litigation on PL 94-142 and deaf education	1978-1982
20	4	Papers and summary of PL 95-602	1978-1979
20	5	Position statements on PL 94-142	1973-1980
20	6	Reports on Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compilation Board	1983-1984
20	7	Speeches and articles on deaf consumers	1963-1985
20	8	Speeches and articles on residential schools	1977-1986
20	9	Testimony and comments on interpreter bill	1978-1979
21	1	Testimony and comments on interpreter bill	1978-1979
21	2	US Congress correspondence and transcripts	1976-1984

Manuscripts - The Mervin D. Garretson Papers, 1963-1989

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