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MSS 32 – Flood, James Theodore, 1905-1990
Papers of James Theodore Flood, 1920-1989
Gallaudet University Archives

Descriptive Summary

Repository: Gallaudet University Archives
Call No.: MSS 32
Creator:
Title: Papers of James Theodore Flood, 1920-1989
Quantity: 3.5 Linear Feet (7 document boxes)
Abstract:
Note: This document last updated 2005 December 6.

Administrative Information

Acquisition Information: The James Theodore Flood Papers were given to the Gallaudet University Archives in his bequest in accordance to item II in the Last Will and Testament of Dr. James Theodore Flood on December 16, 1991.
Processed by: Michael Olson. 1994 August.
Processing Note:
Conditions on Use and Access: This collection is open to the public with no restrictions. Photocopies may be made for scholarly research.

Related Material in the Archives:

Manuscripts

  • Papers of Herbert C. Merrill, 1897-1957. Gallaudet University Archives, Call Number: MSS 113
  • Collection of The Church Mission to Deaf-Mutes, 1921-1988. Gallaudet University Archives, Call Number: MSS 120
  • Collection / Benjamin M. Schowe, Sr., 1912-1977. Gallaudet University Archives, Call Number: MSS 43

Photographs

  • James T. Flood [picture]. Gallaudet University Archives, Call Number: Portraits
  • Photograph album of James Theodore Flood [picture]. Gallaudet University Archives, Call Number: Photograph Album AL 80
  • Photograph album of James Theodore Flood [picture]. Gallaudet University Archives, Call Number: Photograph Album AL 81

Vertical Files

  • James Theodore Flood. Gallaudet University Archives, Call Number: Deaf Biographical

Biographical Sketch

James Theodore Flood was born on February 16, 1905, the fourth of eight children of James B. and Martha (Gehl) Flood of Elyria, Ohio. He spent his childhood in Elyria, where he attended the public schools until at the age of 12 he contracted spinal meningitis and became totally deaf. He dropped out of the school and worked at the Columbia Steel Company for a few years. He enrolled in January 1920, at the Ohio School for the Deaf in Columbus. He graduated as class valedictorian in June 1923. The following autumn, he enrolled in Gallaudet College. He graduated from Gallaudet in 1928 and he went back to his home state, Ohio where he worked first as a boy’s counselor for two years and then as a teacher for 45 years at the Ohio School for the Deaf. He retired in 1975.

He received a second bachelor’s degree in education in 1932 and a master’s degree in special education in 1940, both from the Ohio State University. Gallaudet University honored him with an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 1964.During his teaching career, Dr. Flood worked tirelessly as a board member, executive secretary, and public relations man for the Ohio Home for the Aged and Infirm Deaf. Among his greatest achievements was the established of Columbus Colony, the nation’s first planned community for elderly deaf people.

For years, James Flood was the executive secretary of the Ohio School for the Deaf Alumni Association. During his lifetime, Dr. Flood attended many workshops related on aging, handicapped and deaf people. Also, he involved in Safe Driving Program for Deaf Drivers. Along with Robert M. Greenum and Frederick Moore proposed the unification of all State (and local) organization of the Deaf. At a meeting called for such purpose, the Ohio Federation of Organization of the Deaf was established. It later became the Ohio Association of the Deaf, through merger with the Ohio Deaf Motor’s Association. Dr. Flood was honored with a larger than life framed picture of him unveiling during the Reunion of the Alumni Association in 1985. The picture is presently hanging in the lobby of Columbus Colony.In August 1943, James Flood married Kathryn Beryl Buster of Kansas City, a Gallaudet University classmate and teacher of home economics at the Ohio School for the Deaf. After Kathryn’s death in 1975, Dr. Flood married Ruth Imogene Price in 1979. Ruth died In 1981.Dr. Flood passed away at his residence in Columbus, Ohio on September 24, 1990 at the age of 85.Sources: Collection Synopsis, James T. Flood Papers, MSS 901, The Ohio Historical Society; Vita Resume of James T. Flood; and Gallaudet Alumni Newsletter, Vol. 25, No. 3, November 1990.

Scope and Content

The James Theodore Flood Papers consist of awards and honors, booklets, brochures, certificates, constitution and by laws, correspondence, financial reports, memorandums, minutes, newspaper clippings, news releases, presentations, program books, proposals, reports and speeches. Dr. Flood was a teacher at the Ohio School for the Deaf for 45 years. He was an advocate for the Ohio Deaf community. He was the instrumental in establishing a nursing home for the deaf called Columbus Colony in Columbus, Ohio. The collection, which consists of approximately 6,000 pages, dates from 1920 to 1989. The bulk of collection consists of correspondence, carbon copies, and publications. The bulk dates are mostly between 1952 and 1982. The strength of the collection is centered mostly on concerns for the welfare of deaf people in Ohio, especially with the Ohio Home for the Aged and Infirm Deaf and the Columbus Colony. The largest subject in the collection is focused on the establishment of the Columbus Colony, the nation’s first planned community for elderly deaf people. The collection is arranged into seven series: biographical and personal, Gallaudet College, the Ohio School for the Deaf, the Ohio School for the Deaf Alumni Association, the Ohio Home for the Aged and Infirm Deaf, the Columbus Colony, and Subject and Correspondence files.Unfortunately, the collection is not completed and mostly contains carbon copies of some materials as Dr. Flood donated the bulk of his collection to The Ohio Historical Society in August, 1985. (See the Archivist for a copy of collection synopsis on Dr. James T. Flood processed by the Ohio Historical Society). The collection was bequeathed to Gallaudet University in accordance to Item II in the Last Will and Testament of Dr. James T. Flood on December 16, 1991.

Series Descriptions

Series I: Biographical and Personal – Box 1, 1923-1989

This series contains Dr. Flood’s speeches and statements; biographical items; correspondence; articles; awards and certificates.

Series II: Gallaudet College – Box 1, 1920-1983

Dr. Flood was a student at Gallaudet College from 1923 to 1928. This series contains correspondence; information about Gallaudet College; and a certificate of the Phi Alpha Sigma Fraternity of which he was a member.

Series III: Ohio School for the Deaf – Box 1, 1947-1981

Dr. Flood attended the Ohio School for the Deaf from 1920 to 1923 and was a class valedictorian. Mostly of this series are correspondence; program books; and newspaper articles on the school.Series IV: Ohio School for the Deaf Alumni Association

Box 2, 1948-1987

This series contains records of the Ohio School for the Deaf Alumni Association including Board of Governor’s minutes, constitution and by laws, resolutions, financial statements, correspondence, legal papers and reunion program books.

Series V: Ohio Home for the Aged and Infirm Deaf – Box 2, 1948-1982

This series contains the records of the Ohio Home for the Aged and Infirm Deaf, a nursing home sponsored by the Ohio School for the Deaf Alumni Association. Includes in the collection are minutes of the Board of Managers, correspondence, financial statements, reports and land transactions.

Series VI: Columbus Colony – Boxes 3-5, 1974-1989

Series six contains materials directly related to the construction and operation of the Columbus Colony, a model residential and nursing complex for the deaf. Includes are articles of incorporation, Board of Trustees minutes, correspondence, funding proposals, and position descriptions. Dr. Flood’s position as the Public Relations Director which he held the longest at the Colony. Also included are the Colony’s newsletter, The Commentator.

There are copies of grants and proposals in this collection, as well as on estates and wills.

Series VII: Subject and Correspondence Files – Boxes 6-7, 1940-1988

This series contains subject and correspondence file arranged alphabetically by folder title. Materials related to the education, medical care, and housing needs of the deaf and the elderly and includes material of national, state, and local organizations to which Dr. Flood belonged. Among these organizations are the National Association of Homes for the Aged Deaf, the National Association of the Deaf, the National Fraternal Society of the Deaf, the Ohio Association of the Deaf and the Ohio Federation of Organizations of the Deaf. Records of other committees include the Commission for New Residential Schools for the Blind and the Deaf, the Ohio Commission for the Deaf, and the White House Conference on Aging. There are correspondence with members of the Ohio legislature and the United States Congress. Correspondence regarding specific bills before the Ohio legislature on peddling, Morse Road Expressway, and the State Commission for the Deaf.

Folder Lists

Box Number Title of Folder Date
1 01 Awards and Honors 1964-1983
1 02 Biographical and personal items 1923-1985
1 03 Booklets 1940‑1958
1 04 Certificates 1939‑1989
1 05 Correspondence 1928‑1988
1 06 Diploma ‑ The Ohio State University 1940
1 07 Newspaper articles 1964‑1985
1 08 Speeches and statements 1967‑1979
1 09 Certificate ‑ Phi Alpha Sigma Fraternity 1925
1 10 Chapel Hall n.d.
1 11 Correspondence ‑ Alumni Association 1945‑1947
1 12 Correspondence ‑ Elstad, Dr. Leonard M. 1963‑1964
1 13 Correspondence ‑ Gallaudet Centennial 1963‑1964
1 14 Correspondence ‑ Gannon, Jack R. 1971‑1973
1 15 Correspondence ‑ General 1963‑1980
1 16 Correspondence ‑ Merrill, Dr. Edward C., Jr. 1977‑1983
1 17 Correspondence ‑ Public Relations 1962
1 18 Gallaudet College 1946‑1963
1 19 Gallaudet College ‑ Public Relations 1964‑1969
1 20 Gallaudet College ‑ Speeches and statements 1960‑1969
1 21 Gallaudet College Alumni Association 1920‑1969
1 22 Gallaudet Statue Commission 1964
1 23 Merrill, Dr. Edward C., Jr. 1968
1 24 Correspondence ‑ Abernathy, Edward R. 1962‑1968
1 25 Correspondence ‑ Grover, Edward 1968‑1975
1 26 Letter ‑ Committee on organization 1947
1 27 Newspaper articles 1949‑1981
1 28 Parent Teacher Association 1962
1 29 Program book ‑ Baccalaureate Commencement 1973
1 30 Program book ‑ Dedication and Commencement 1954
1 31 Program book ‑ Groundbreaking Ceremony 1950
2 01 Board of Governors ‑ Minutes, resolutions, memos 1982
2 02 Constitution and Bylaws 1975‑1987
2 03 Correspondence ‑ Executive Secretary 1955‑1972
2 04 Correspondence ‑ General 1948‑1951
2 05 Deaf School Park ‑ History 1985
2 06 Financial statement 1968
2 07 Law Committee 1958‑1965
2 08 Legal papers 1967‑1977
2 09 Program book ‑ Reunions 1975‑1978
2 10 Board of Managers ‑ Minutes 1948
2 11 Board of Managers ‑ Minutes (Executive Comm.) 1970‑1975
2 12 Booklets 1954
2 13 Building Committee 1957‑1968
2 14 Correspondence ‑ Atkinson, Jack 1968‑1970
2 15 Correspondence ‑ Duning, Hilbert & LeRoy 1958‑1959
2 16 Correspondence ‑ General 1964‑1975
2 17 Correspondence ‑ Hazel, Edwin 1954
2 18 Correspondence ‑ Hoover, Paul 1953‑1958
2 19 Correspondence ‑ Internal Revenue Security 1965
2 20 Correspondence ‑ Katz, Harvey 1975
2 21 Correspondence ‑ Schowe, Ben M., Sr. 1952‑1954
2 22 Correspondence ‑ Statistics information 1973
2 23 Correspondence ‑ Stump, Dale W. 1970‑1975
2 24 Correspondence ‑ Uren, William T. 1952‑1958
2 25 Deaf Center 1974
2 26 Financial Aid 1965‑1971
2 27 Financial statements 1953‑1974
2 28 Float Committee 1976
2 29 Home Building Fund Campaign n.d.
2 30 Land Transactions 1954‑1970
2 31 Lists of Residents 1974
2 32 Miscellaneous 1970‑1975
2 33 Newspaper articles 1973‑1979
2 34 Plans of Superintendent’s Home n.d.
2 35 Policies of the Home 1962
2 36 Program book ‑ Groundbreaking for Units One and Two of the Home for the Aged Deaf and Infirm 1957
2 37 Reports ‑ Executive Secretary 1959
2 38 Reports and Recommendations 1959‑1974
2 39 Superintendent’s Reports 1956
2 40 Violations on Home 1972‑1982
3 01 Architects 1975‑1977
3 02 Articles of Incorporation 1975‑1981
3 03 Battelle Memorial Institute Foundation 1977‑1981
3 04 Brochures n.d.
3 05 Budgets 1978‑1982
3 06 Case Statements n.d.
3 07 Code of Regulations 1981
3 08 Columbus Colony 1978
3 09 Columbus Colony 1978
3 10 Columbus Colony: Brief History n.d.
3 11 “Columbus Colony ‑ How it Happened, What it is” 1980
3 12 “Columbus Colony: Yesterday ‑ Today and Tomorrow” n.d.
3 13 Columbus Foundation 1983‑1986
3 14 Columbus Foundation 1987‑1988
3 15 Commentator, Columbus Colony newsletter 1978‑1982
4 01 Correspondence ‑ Executive Secretary 1975‑1989
4 02 Correspondence ‑ Project Coordinator 1976‑1977
4 03 Correspondence ‑ Public Relations Director 1976‑1982
4 04 Correspondence ‑ Public Relations Director 1976‑1982
4 05 Dedication 1979‑1980
4 06 Donations 1981‑1982
4 07 Endorsements 1976‑1977
4 08 Estates & Wills 1983‑1988
4 09 Fact Sheet 1976
4 10 Financial statements 1977‑1982
4 11 Fletcher, Louise 1976
4 12 Fund raising 1978‑1982
4 13 General information 1979
4 14 Grievance Policy 1980
4 15 Groundbreaking 1974‑1977
4 16 Hawk, Jack L. ‑ The Roar of Silence: An Architectural Report on Deaf Oriented Facilities in North America as related to Columbus Colony 1977
4 17 Homes and Housing for Deaf Senior Citizens 1980
4 18 Housing 1979‑1983
4 19 Introductory information n.d.
4 20 Master Planning Committee 1981
5 01 Memorandums 1977‑1984
5 02 Memorandum ‑ Model Project 1980
5 03 Minutes 1977‑1982
5 04 Nader, G. Michael ‑ “Columbus Colony ‑ A National Prototype Community” n.d.
5 05 News releases n.d.
5 06 Newspaper articles 1976‑1982
5 07 “Overvue: Deafness and Columbus Colony” n.d.
5 08 Paul Werth Associates, Inc. 1977‑1980
5 09 Periodicals 1977‑1981
5 10 Philosophy of Columbus Colony 1978
5 11 Position descriptions 1978‑1982
5 12 Postcards of Columbus Colony n.d.
5 13 Presentations 1977
5 14 Proposals and Grants, Part 1 1975‑1977
5 15 Proposals and Grants, Part 2 1975‑1977
5 16 Slides Presentation and Scripts n.d.
5 17 State of the Art n.d.
5 18 Table of Organization n.d.
6 01 Bishop, Jim 1964
6 02 Brochures 1977‑1981
6 03 Brona Funding, Inc. 1976
6 04 Carlos, Elizabeth 1981
6 05 Celeste, Hon. Richard M. 1972
6 06 Commission for New Residential Schools for the Blind and the Deaf, Part 1 1940‑1955
6 07 Commission for New Residential Schools for the Blind and the Deaf, Part 2 1940‑1955
6 08 Commission on Education of the Deaf 1987
6 09 Community Services for Deaf People 1972‑1982
6 10 Correspondence ‑ General 1961‑1974
6 11 Correspondence ‑ Williams, Boyce R. 1988
6 12 Deafness Research & Training Center 1970‑1979
6 13 Hagemeyer, Alice ‑ “Deaf Pride at the Library” 1979
6 14 HEW ‑ Correspondence ‑ Williams, Boyce R. 1962‑1976
6 15 Hull, Raymond H. ‑ “Hearing Evaluation of the Elderly” n.d.
6 16 Interpreters for the Deaf 1973‑1979
6 17 Landers, Ann 1964
6 18 Legislation ‑ Peddling 1948‑1966
6 19 Legislation (Ohio) ‑ Morse Road Expressway 1957‑1967
6 20 Legislative Service Commission 1983‑1984
7 01 Legislature (U.S.) ‑ Correspondence 1972‑1982
7 02 Miscellaneous 1952‑1978
7 03 Miscellaneous 1974‑1982
7 04 Miscellaneous 1974‑1982
7 05 National Association of Homes for the Aged Deaf 1973‑1979
7 06 National Association of the Deaf 1952‑1976
7 07 National Fraternal Society of the Deaf n.d.
7 08 National Theatre of the Deaf 1969‑1970
7 09 Newspaper articles ‑ General 1950‑1988
7 10 Norwood, Malcolm J. ‑ “Total Opportunity” n.d.
7 11 Notes n.d.
7 12 Ohio Association of the Deaf 1961‑1962
7 13 Ohio Citizens Council, Title XX exchange 1978‑1980
7 14 Ohio Commission for the Deaf 1961‑1980
7 15 Ohio Federation of Organizations of the Deaf 1948‑1958
7 16 Ontario Community Centre for the Deaf 1979
7 17 Pettingill, Don G. ‑ “Leadership Needs in the Deaf Community” 1964
7 18 Poems and Miscellaneous n.d.
7 19 Religion n.d.
7 20 U.S. Dept. of HEW 1977
7 21 White House Conference on Aging 1971‑1976
7 22 World Congress of the Deaf n.d.
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