One of Gallaudet’s iconic brands is returning, with a twist. Gallaudet Today will now be represented in two forms: Gallaudet Today Newsletter and Gallaudet Today Magazine.
The Gallaudet Today Newsletter will replace the university’s long-running “Hi5” email newsletter. The goal will remain the same, with Gallaudet Today bringing the best news and events to our campus community and subscribers.
That’s not all. Gallaudet Today Magazine will return after a brief hiatus. The upcoming issue will recap the best stories from the 2025-26 academic year with dynamic visuals.
The new Newsletter and Magazine formats will connect the university’s storied communications history with Gallaudet, today. The first magazine under the Gallaudet Today brand was published over 50 years ago, when webpages and social media platforms were still decades away. We are excited to brand one of the university’s most storied brands to our supporters today.
Gallaudet Today Newsletter
The Gallaudet Today Newsletter will share the biggest, best, and brightest Gallaudet news and events every month. It is sent to our campus community of Gallaudet students, faculty, and staff. It’s also available to anybody who wants to subscribe. Not signed up yet? Subscribe today!
You can find current and past Gallaudet Today stories on the News webpage. Have an idea for a Gallaudet Today story? Email us at Click to reveal email.
Gallaudet Today Magazine
Gallaudet Today Magazine will return this fall with important stories and news from the 2025-26 academic year. A print copy of the Magazine is sent to all Gallaudet alumni who are life members of the Gallaudet University Alumni Association (GUAA). A digital copy will be released online for the public.
Past digital issues of the Gallaudet Today Magazine are available on the University Communications webpage. In addition, the Gallaudet Archives has scanned every print copy of the Magazine.
The history of Gallaudet Today
The first issue of Gallaudet Today Magazine was released in the summer of 1970 by the Office of Public Information. The university’s President at the time, Edward C. Merrill, Jr., introduced the periodical to readers.
“Gallaudet Today is a new collegiate publication. The purpose of this magazine is to present information in depth about specific programs, projects and activities on Kendall Green. You will be able to read about students, professors, alumni, board members, and people who visit the campus.”
The first featured story of that issue covered the opening of Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD) on the Gallaudet campus. The author wrote that MSSD represented “the hope of a high school education which will prepare [deaf and hard of hearing students] for college or technical, vocational and trade pursuits.”
For many years, the Gallaudet Today Magazine was released quarterly. There were no websites or social media at the time. The Magazine acted as one of Gallaudet’s primary ways of connecting with alumni and other supporters around the United States and the world. As communication technology evolved, so did Gallaudet Today. The frequency eventually lessened to twice a year, and sometimes once a year.
Gallaudet has evolved over the years, and so has Gallaudet Today. Today, our supporters get their news from several different sources, such as Instagram, Facebook, email newsletters, and Gallaudet.edu. As the Gallaudet Today brand moves into a new era, it will continue documenting the unique history of the world’s only liberal arts university for the deaf and hard of hearing.
A visual feast
Gallaudet Today Magazine was designed by and for deaf and hard of hearing people, and it had the visuals to match. Over the years, the Magazine’s design and logo evolved to fit the times.
The history of Gallaudet Today Magazine is full of striking images. Covers, especially, were a space for eye-catching and thought-provoking visuals.
The arts are central to the Deaf community and Gallaudet University. Over the years, the magazine consistently featured deaf artists in theatre, visual art, filmmaking, and other mediums.
In 1989 and 2009, the Magazine ran features on the legendary festivals Deaf Way I and Deaf Way II. The images and articles chronicle historical arts events that brought thousands of people to Washington, D.C.
Countless milestones
The opening of MSSD was the first of many milestones featured in Gallaudet Today Magazine. The Magazine’s library contains invaluable records of many Gallaudet firsts, building openings, presidential inaugurations, anniversaries, and more.
While there is now a Deaf President Now (DPN) documentary, the storytelling contained in Gallaudet Today Magazine may be the definitive record of the historical protest. The Magazine covered the event in 1988, as well as subsequent anniversaries, delving into the lasting impact from the campus where it happened.
The Gallaudet campus has changed dramatically since 1970, and Gallaudet Today Magazine has captured the institution over time. It can be fascinating to see the stories and intentions behind some of the buildings that our students, faculty, and staff use every day.
Time capsule
Old Gallaudet Today Magazine issues are a fascinating look back at Gallaudet over the past six decades. The issues act as time capsules, showing us a not-so-distant past. The speed of technological advances is especially evident. A cover story from the Winter 1971 issue describes the university’s single computer. It could store 25,000,000 characters of data. That’s about 0.01% of the storage space of a standard iPhone today.
If you want to know what life has been like for Gallaudet students since 1970, the Gallaudet Today archives are a good place to start. Once you’re done, make sure to check out the Tower Clock archives, too!
Deaf culture and civil rights
Gallaudet Today has been an important publication for not only the Gallaudet community, but the deaf and hard of hearing community as a whole. In the first few decades of the Magazine’s run, before the internet became widespread, stories were often dense and complex. Many of them tackled important issues regarding the civil rights of deaf and hard of hearing people.
The cover story for the Spring 1974 issue of Gallaudet Today was “Women and Deafness”. Over the years, the magazine would return to the topic of the progress, independence, and liberation of deaf and hard of hearing women.
The future of Today
As Gallaudet Today moves into the future, it will continue to document the biggest, best, and brightest moments at the university.
Gallaudet Today Magazine will return this fall. In the meantime, visit the Gallaudet Archives digital collection for a deep dive into Gallaudet history.
Anybody can subscribe to the Gallaudet Today Newsletter! Gallaudet students, faculty, and staff are automatically subscribed.
For more Gallaudet updates, visit our News page. You can follow us on social media on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
