In memoriam: Dr. Ronald Eugene Sutcliffe

Dr. Ronald Eugene Sutcliffe, ’59, Dean Emeritus at Gallaudet University, passed away on January 25, 2026, in Ames, Iowa, at the age of 90. A towering figure in the Deaf community in both Iowa and Washington, D.C., Dr. Sutcliffe devoted his life to advancing Deaf leadership, education, and business enterprise.

His 42-year career at Gallaudet University began in financial operations, where he served as manager of the university bookstore and later as an assets and portfolio manager. After earning his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland at College Park, he joined the faculty of Gallaudet’s Department of Business, eventually serving as department chair and becoming the inaugural Dean of the School of Management. Upon his retirement in 2001, he was named Dean Emeritus—only the second person in the university’s history to be so honored.

Ronald Eugene Sutcliffe was born on August 3, 1935, in Sumner, Iowa, to Alleen Surber Sutcliffe and Herbert Lynn Sutcliffe. He attended the Iowa School for the Deaf in Council Bluffs, graduating in 1954. At Gallaudet, where he proudly belonged to the Class of 1959, he distinguished himself as a student leader, contributing to student government, The Buff and Blue newspaper, and the Kappa Gamma Fraternity.

After graduating from Gallaudet, Dr. Sutcliffe was deeply involved in Deaf athletic and social organizations. He served as finance director for Washington-area Deaf basketball and softball teams that competed in regional and national tournaments. He was a board member of the forerunner to the USA Deaf Sports Federation and served as finance officer for the 1965 World Games for the Deaf in Washington, D.C. During preparations for the Games, he met U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson at the White House—a moment he treasured throughout his life.

Dr. Sutcliffe met his future wife, Agnes Dunn Sutcliffe, ’59, when they were young students at neighboring Deaf schools—Agnes at the Nebraska School for the Deaf in Omaha and Ron at the Iowa School for the Deaf in Council Bluffs. Their friendship blossomed after college, and they were married on July 14, 1961, at Christ Lutheran Church in Washington, D.C. During 58 years together, they raised five children. They were steadfastly involved in every aspect of their children’s and later their grandchildren’s lives.

Agnes Sutcliffe passed away on September 27, 2020, at age 86. She was also a Gallaudet faculty member and left her own enduring legacy.

Throughout his professional career, Dr. Sutcliffe was passionately committed to strengthening the Deaf ecosystem. His daughter Jane Sutcliffe recalls, “My dad’s Ph.D. dissertation was a research project on Deaf leaders. He was all about Deaf leaders. He did research about the characteristics that made Deaf leaders successful in the business world, particularly those who worked alongside hearing people.” 

Many of Dr. Sutcliffe’s former students went on to become business owners, entrepreneurs, nonprofit executives, and educational administrators. He co-founded the National Deaf Business Institute and served as its executive director for many years.

An equally passionate historian, Dr. Sutcliffe amassed an extensive collection of autographs from athletes, celebrities, and politicians, and dedicated decades to documenting the history of the Iowa School for the Deaf. His research culminated in the 2005 publication of The Legacy of Iowa School for the Deaf, released in conjunction with the school’s 150th anniversary.

Upon his retirement, Dr. Sutcliffe and Agnes endowed the Sutcliffe Business Bowl at Gallaudet University, a quiz-bowl–style competition held each spring. The event celebrated its 20th anniversary in April 2024, with Dr. Sutcliffe and all five of his children proudly in attendance.

Gallaudet President Roberta Cordano shares, “I was deeply saddened to learn of Dr. Ronald Sutcliffe’s passing. Ron’s legacy at Gallaudet University is defined not only by his decades of leadership and service, but by the generosity he and Agnes showed in investing in future generations of Deaf business leaders. Through the Sutcliffe Business Bowl and so many personal acts of mentorship, Ron helped shape a culture of excellence, confidence, and possibility that will endure long after us.”

Dr. Sutcliffe was a longtime member and benefactor of the National Association of the Deaf, the Maryland Association of the Deaf, Maryland Deaf Senior Citizens, and the Gallaudet University Alumni Association. He also served as a member and past president of Kappa Gamma International, the alumni body of his college fraternity.

Dr. Sutcliffe and Agnes are survived by five children: Glen W. Sutcliffe and his wife, Marie Tucker Sutcliffe, of Bethesda, Maryland; Jane A. Sutcliffe, G-’92, and her husband, Colonel David Moss (Ret.), of Madrid, Iowa; Herb E. Sutcliffe of Washington, D.C.; Bert E. Sutcliffe and Patti Havens Sutcliffe of Tampa, Florida; and Dale F. Sutcliffe and his wife, Holly Mozingo Sutcliffe, of Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. He is also survived by 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild, as well as his sister, Marilyn Sutcliffe Brocka, and her husband, Leroy Brocka, of Sumner, Iowa.

Donations in Dr. Sutcliffe’s memory may be made to the Gallaudet University Sutcliffe Business Bowl or the National Association of the Deaf.

To donate to Gallaudet University, fill out the online donation form and note “Sutcliffe Business Bowl” in the Designation field. You can also see more donation options, including cash or check, on the Giving at Gallaudet page.

To donate to the National Association of the Deaf, visit their Donation page.