Gallaudet to Induct Noted Performer and Artist Bernard Bragg Into Hall of Fame

Gallaudet University has announced its newest inductee to the Gallaudet University Hall of Fame, noted actor, poet, writer, director, artist, teacher, and prominent Gallaudet alum Bernard Bragg, ’52.

Established during the tenure of Gallaudet President Percival Hall, who served from 1910-1945, the Gallaudet University Hall of Fame began as a small collection of memorials and grew over the years. Prior to 1980, forty individuals were inducted. The Gallaudet University Hall of Fame celebrates individuals who have made outstanding contributions that align with the University’s mission on a national or international scale. One of the oldest honors bestowed by the University, the Hall of Fame inducts people who are exemplars of service, stature, or achievement.

“Dr. Bernard Bragg is regarded as a passionate and energetic trailblazer for deaf people in the national as well as international arts communities,” said Gallaudet University President T. Alan Hurwitz.

Bragg will be inducted alongside such notables as Laurent Clerc, The Abbe Charles Michel de l’Epee, Presidents James A. Garfield and Abraham Lincoln, Gertrude Scott Galloway, Jack R. Gannon, I. King Jordan, among others.

In 2014, in honor of the 150th anniversary of the signing of Gallaudet’s charter by President Abraham Lincoln, the University’s Board of Trustees revived the Hall of Fame by inducting 14 people. Every year thereafter, the Board of Trustees may select up to two individuals to be inducted. Bragg is the only inductee for the year 2015. Nominations for the 2016 cohort are currently being accepted and the deadline for nominations is July 31, 2015. Click here to learn how to submit a nomination.

Bragg will be officially inducted this September during President Hurwitz’s annual welcome back speech in Elstad Auditorium on the Gallaudet campus.

Click here to learn more about the Hall of Fame. Click here to learn more about past inductees.

Gallaudet University, federally chartered in 1864, is a bilingual, diverse, multicultural institution of higher education that ensures the intellectual and professional advancement of deaf and hard of hearing individuals through American Sign Language and English. Gallaudet maintains a proud tradition of research and scholarly activity and prepares its graduates for career opportunities in a highly competitive, technological, and rapidly changing world.

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Kaitlin Luna, Coordinator of Media and Public Relations