Hall of Fame
2010
Booth, Edmund
Edmund Booth
Class of 1830
Student #257 – 2010 Hall of Fame Excellence
Edmund Booth was a graduate of the Old Asylum in 1830. During the gold rush of the 1840s, he became a famous “Forty-Niner” and a Deaf pioneer in the Wild West. In later years, Edmund was the Editor of the newspaper “The Anamosa Eureka” in Iowa and was instrumental in founding the Iowa School for the Deaf.
Brown, Thomas Lewis
Thomas Lewis Brown
Class of 1827
Student #102 – 2010 Hall of Fame Excellence
Thomas Lewis Brown was taught by both Laurent Clerc and Thomas H. Gallaudet at the Old Asylum. He was the key player who helped prepare the foundation of NAD and founded the New England Gallaudet Association of the Deaf, the first interstate organization serving the Deaf in the United States.
Buell, Edward S.
Edward S. Buell
Class of 1942
Student #3667 – 2010 Hall of Fame Excellence
After leaving ASD, Ed was very active with numerous organizations: Greater Bridgeport Association of the Deaf, New England Athletic Association of the Deaf (NEAAD), Eastern Athletic Association of the Deaf (EAAD), American Athletic Association of the Deaf (AAAD), Connecticut Deaf Senior Citizen, Connecticut Council Organization, Connecticut Association of the Deaf, and New England Deaf Bowling. Then, he continued his involvement with organizations in Arizona with the Phoenix Association of the Deaf, Greater Phoenix Deaf Senior Citizen, and Farwest Athletic Association of the Deaf (FAAD).
He was known as the Father of the New England Athletic Association of the Deaf (NEAAD) along with five others who founded this organization. Ed also founded the Greater Bridgeport Association of the Deaf with four other fellows.
Ed served as President of NEAAD, Vice-President, as Secretary-Treasurer, President and Treasurer of the Greater Bridgeport Association of the Deaf (GBAD), and numerous times as Vice-President of Eastern Athletic Association of the Deaf.
Ed was also very influential in obtaining a 75% discount on the TTY bill by testifying at the Public Utilities Commission Hearing for the Deaf community in Connecticut.
Clerc, Laurent
Laurent Clerc
Honorary
ASD Founder – 2010 Hall of Fame Excellence
Laurent Clerc co-founded the first school for the deaf (ASD) in North America and was widely regarded as “The Apostle of the Deaf in America.” He also had a great influence in the development of American Sign Language. Clerc retired from a long and illustrious career at ASD at the age of 73 in 1853.
Cogswell, Alice
Alice Cogswell
Class of 1824
Student #1 – 2010 Hall of Fame Excellence
Alice Cogswell was the inspiration for the creation of the first school for the deaf in North America when as a nine-year old deaf girl, she met Thomas H. Gallaudet, a neighbor of Dr. Mason Cogswell. She was among the first 9 students at the school when it opened in April 1817.
Gower, Lois Jean (m. Morin)
Lois Jean Gower (m. Morin)
Class of 1961
Student #4442 – 2010 Hall of Fame Excellence
Lois has been very active with various organizations as Acting President, Secretary, and Treasurer of the Maine Association of the Deaf, Chairperson and Chaperone of the Maine Deaf Pageant in 1986, 1988, and 1990, Secretary of the Maine Alumni Association of the Deaf, Maine Deaf Senior Citizens, Maine Recreational Association of the Deaf and Chairperson of the Maine Deaf Timberfest in 1998, 2002 and 2005.
She is on the Maine Registry of Interpreters and an advisor on the Maine Division of the Deaf and the Telecommunications Relay Services. In addition to the various advocacy groups, she is a Maine Deaf Rights Group member. She also worked on the annual Maine TTY directories for 15 years and with the Peruvian Deaf/Hard of Hearing children in Lima, Peru.
Lois has been recognized for her dedicated service with the GBSD (Governor Baxter School for the Deaf) and received Special Recognition for her work with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Citizens by the Division of Deafness and Advisory Committee, Maine Bureau of Rehabilitation. She was also given an Honorary Lifetime Membership for her outstanding leadership and dedicated service as an interpreter for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Citizens in Maine by the Maine R.I.D. In appreciation for her dedicated service to the Greater Portland Club of the Deaf, her outstanding work was recognized by the GPCD. She was recognized by the Maine Telecommunications Relay Services Advisory Council for making the Universal Telecommunications Services a reality for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Speech-Impaired citizens in the State of Maine by A.T.&T.
Greene, Samuel Thomas
Samuel Thomas Greene
Class of 1866
Student #1227 – 2010 Hall of Fame Excellence
Samuel T. Greene graduated from the Old Asylum in 1866. His major achievement was founding the Ontario (Canada) School for the Deaf in 1886.
Halberg, David Hillard
David Hillard Halberg
Class of 1948
Student #3643 – 2010 Hall of Fame Excellence
David Halberg was a longtime math teacher and very much involved with ASD as an alumnus, leader, wrestling coach, counselor, scoutmaster, school photographer, and historian for over 50 years. He founded ASD’s first wrestling team in 1953 and his wrestling team won two national titles.
He did invaluable volunteer work in the Gallaudet-Clerc Historical Room as the leading historian and archivist. He researched the history of Amistad and ASD and also co-authored “The Chain of Love” with co-author Annabelle Young in 1997.
For many years, he was a member of the American School for the Deaf Alumni Association (ASDAA), where he served as President, 1st Vice President and Executive Secretary. He was honored by the ASDAA Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995 and the Excellence Hall of Fame in 2010.
David received the highest Scouter’s Award, the Silver Beaver, in 1982 for his distinguished service with the youth several other notable scouting awards. For over 30 years, he was involved with the scouting program at ASD and a scouter for 41 years.
Mr. Halberg was so highly regarded at ASD that October 8 in 1983 was proclaimed by the ASDAA as “David H. Halberg Day,” In 2018, he received the Golden Rose Award of National Association of the Deaf (NAD) for his distinguished service to the deaf community.
Hotchkiss, John Burton
Dr. John Burton Hotchkiss
Class of 1864
Student #1410 – 2010 Hall of Fame Excellence
Dr. John B. Hotchkiss was a graduate of the Old Asylum in 1864. He became the first official Gallaudet University Head Football Coach in 1883. The football field at Gallaudet University was named after him. He also knew Laurent Clerc and did the oldest recording storytelling film about him.
Panara, Robert
Robert Panara
Class of 1940
Student #3797 – 2010 Hall of Fame Excellence
Robert Panara graduated from ASD in 1940. He was a legendary Professor at Gallaudet University and National Technical Institute for the Deaf. From 1950 to 2000, he was a well-respected poet and author.
Philip, Marie Jean
Marie Jean Philip
Class of 1969
Student #4357 – 2010 Hall of Fame Excellence
Marie J. Philip graduated from ASD in 1969. She was considered a true visionary and influential figure in the Deaf community. She worked tirelessly as a trailblazer in enriching Deaf Culture, Deaf History, and ASL Literature.
The annual Marie Jean Philip ASL Poetry, Storytelling, and Deaf Art Competition was started in 1997 by Northeastern University to honor Marie Philip and provide a place for public recognition of the creativity and talent of Deaf and Hard of Hearing students.
The Learning Center for the Deaf named the new Elementary School, The Marie Jean Philip Elementary School, in her honor on May 30, 2002. The Governor of Massachusetts, Jane Swift, emphasized Marie’s leadership and the importance of both passion and education in pursuing our dreams. On September 1, 2015, The Learning Center for the Deaf announced that the PreK-12 program would be renamed the Marie Philip School.
Swett, William Benjamin
William Benjamin Swett
Class of 1842
Student #610 – 2010 Hall of Fame Excellence
William B. Swett graduated from the Old Asylum in 1842. He was the founder of the Beverly (Massachusetts) School for the Deaf in 1876. He also was a well-known guide in the White Mountains in New Hampshire during the later 1800s for many years.
Turner, Job
Rev. Job Turner
Class of 1840 (Left in 1839)
Student #438 – 2010 Hall of Fame Excellence
Rev. Job Turner graduated from the Old Asylum in 1840. He taught at the Virginia School for the Deaf. During the 1880s, he was a popular and famous preacher in the South and a contemporary of William Willard.
Willard, William
William Willard
Class of 1829
Student #132 – 2010 Hall of Fame Excellence
William Willard was a graduate of the Old Asylum in 1829. He was the founder of the Indiana School for the Deaf, which opened on October 1, 1843.
Clark, Loren Emory
Loren Emory Clark
Class of 1962
Student #3938 – 2010 Athletic Hall of Fame
Loren Clark was one of Coach David Halberg’s great wrestlers. He did not have the body and looks of a physically muscular wrestler; however, he knew how to block, bar, and use a lever to stay on top of his opponent and had all the rudiments, especially one of his favorite tricks was to use Whizzer to half nelson and crotch to pin most of his opponents. He was a perfect gentleman on the mat, and most of the fans enjoyed watching Loren’s graceful movements while wrestling.
Crowley, William
William Crowley
Class of 1945
Student #3839 – 2010 Athletic Hall of Fame
William “Bill” Crowley was one of the most fearless tackles in the 1940s. In 1942, when Bill was only fourteen years old, a hearing woman in his hometown approached and encouraged him to attend the American School for the Deaf by showing him a yearbook about ASD. He still did not want to go there, but once he saw a picture of the ASD football team, he decided to attend ASD that following fall.
At first, he rode a train to Hartford and waited outside at the station anticipating someone from ASD to pick him up. He was about to return home after waiting too long. Finally, a man tapped on his shoulder, asking if he was Bill. After getting into a blue ASD bus, he found all the deaf students signing with each other. Bill did not know any signs.
One day he saw a football team on the practice field. Steve Renick, a captain, called him to join the team. After the first two games, he played first string as a left tackle in defense and offense from 1942 until 1945 under Head Coach Walter Rockwell.
Before his last game against heavy favored NYSD Fanwood at ASD, he rode in a public bus with ASD alumni as they talked about Fanwood players. They felt that it was time for Fanwood to win a big victory over ASD after losing five or six in a row. They made a bet on who would win this game. Bill then could read their sign language. He knew that he would have to play hard against this team.
Just before the game on Saturday afternoon, he told the team that he needed good teamwork to win this game. He could not win by himself only. A large and heavy player named Jackson got the ball after the very first kick-off and ran through ASD players. The only one player left to tackle him was Bill. He tackled him, preventing him from making a touchdown. His two teeth were broken. His helmet with a homemade rim did not help him. ASD fans thought that Bill would walk away from the game for good, but he did not. He also intercepted the ball and ran to about fifteen yards left to a touchdown. It helped ASD score after a few plays. He played to the end of the game, and ASD won the match by 20-6. He was a fearless player as well.
Diot, Truman Emile
Truman Emile Diot
Class of 1952
Student #4099 – 2010 Athletic Hall of Fame
Truman Diot was born in Albany, New York, and attended the Rochester School for the Deaf for ten years. Then he transferred to ASD in 1950 for two years. He loved football and tackled 2-3 players because of his large size and height. Truman helped the football team win many games. Truman also loved basketball, and he was a hoop leader for the team. He received awards and pins in both sports.
The April 1951 issue of the American Era stated, that “Truman Diot, who displayed a great deal of improvement last season, will lead next year’s [basketball] quintet.” Also in the March 1952 issue, on page 59, there is a good team picture of the 1951-1952 Basketball teams, with Truman holding the basketball.
In April 1952, at the 3rd annual sports banquet, Truman received awards for football and basketball. He graduated from Gallaudet College with a BA degree in 1959. He was employed as a school counselor at the Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf, West Trenton, New Jersey, at the time of his passing in February 1988.
DuMond, Dennis Thorne
Dennis Thorne DuMond
Class of 1959
Student #3925 – 2010 Athletic Hall of Fame
Dennis was named to the All-American Schools list in two straight years 1957 and 1958 football team in Silent News. He was one of three co-captains for the team and received awards from 1955 to 1958. In 1957 Dennis broke the record to beat New York School for the Deaf (Fanwood). He started playing football in 1949 and continued to love the game to 1958 and never missed one. His coaches were Walter Rockwell, Oscar Shirley, David Halberg, Thomas Desrosier, and John McGill.
McGee, Peter Michael Gerald
Peter Michael Gerald McGee
Class of 1962
Student #3964 – 2010 Athletic Hall of Fame
Peter was known as a sturdy tackler playing both offense and defensive lineman. While playing offense, Peter knew only one thing to do – “do it fast,” blocking to open the hole to allow the player with the ball to gain yards. During the early ’60s, ASD had a very unusual group of young athletes. They were boys with lightning and speedy backs, and they were Albert Cauthen, Donald Wade, Angelo Rivera, Robert Wade, and Robert Shepard. Peter had powerful blocking skills that helped the boys go flying down the field on their way to the end zone for a touchdown.
On the defense line, Peter held his ground to make sure the opponents did not run through. In addition, he was excellent in pass-rushing!
He was a hard-nosed lineman in both offense and defense. He was one of many excellent football players during his time that caught the eyes of the ASD Alumni and local newspapers. Many deaf schools and their alumni remember these special years of the ’60s. They claimed that the ASD football team was a powerhouse in the early ’60s. Peter was very motivated, if things did not go well, he would jump up and down and wave his hands to get the players motivated, helping them feel positive and gain energy, and he also got the crowd to cheer for ASD to help win the games.
Shepard, Robert Raymond
Robert Raymond Shepard
Class of 1961
Student #4332 – 2010 Athletic Hall of Fame
Robert Shepard was an outstanding basketball player, especially during his last three years at ASD. When Robert enrolled as a 15-year-old student, he had no sign language skills. It was when he entered the gym for the first time that he exhibited his basketball skills. That talk began on campus, and he had a legacy as an all-around basketball player ever since. Donald Wade and Robert Shepard were the key players to win two straight championships in the Eastern States Schools for the Deaf Athletic Association Basketball Tournament in 1960 and 1961. They were high scorers on the team from 1959 to 1961, and Robert set a new school record with 21 rebounds in a single game. One of his best performances in the first quarter of the ESDAA Basketball Tournament Championship game in 1961, he made 12 out of the 14 team points. The final score was 60-26 over MKSD (New Jersey). Robert was selected to the All-Star team during that tournament. His scoring average during his three years was over 18 points and over 12 rebounds on average. He also played fullback on the football team for two years and was a member of the 1960 undefeated team.
Quoted from Mr. John McGill in the American Era March 1960 issue: “Robert Shepard – High Scorer, and deft ball handler par excellence. In-game after the game, his ball-handling and eye-filling shooting was a beauty to behold. He was quick as a cat and had springs in his legs which gave ASD center – full control on most occasions and rebounds. Most of the time, he was in the right spot at the right time, and when he was not, he would recover quickly to make an impossible shot. Ball games are won with plenty of baskets and foul shots; this boy had no equal in both departments.”
Woods, Richard James
Richard James Wood
Class of 1959
Student #4025 – 2010 Athletic Hall of Fame
Richard came to ASD in 1946 at the age of 8 and graduated in 1959. During his time here, Richard played all sports. In his junior and senior years, Richard was captain of the football, basketball, and baseball teams. Football was his favorite sport, in which he excelled. Upon graduating from ASD, his hometown asked him to join their semi-pro team where he played for two years.
Yaeger Jr., Frederick John
Frederick John Yaeger, Jr.
Class of 1964
Student #3988 – 2010 Athletic Hall of Fame
Fred Yaeger was an outstanding All-American in football and basketball. He was on the National list as a great player.
He managed 15 touchdowns during football season during senior year frat and has a 25-point average for three years in basketball. He accomplished three All-Stars in the Eastern States Schools Tournament for the Deaf during his sophomore, junior, and senior years. Fred was also an accomplished baseball player with an average of over .300 for three years. He played two positions, pitcher, and shortstop. He passed away in 2021.
Chairperson: David Lawrence, ‘65
Assistant Chairperson: Alexandria McGee, ‘73
Advisor: Albert Couthen, ‘61
Research Committees:
Peter McGee, ‘62
John Virgadaula, ‘65
Raymond Stone, ‘66
Gregory Roche, ‘67
Selection Committee:
Dennis DuMund, ‘59
Stephen Donvanon, 62
Earl Scheithe, ‘62
Robert Backofen, ‘69
2010 EXCELLENCE HALL OF FAME COMMITTEES
Chairperson: Anthony Giordano, ‘60
Committees:
Donald LaRoche, ‘61
Shirley Desrosier, ‘63
Richard Golebiewski, ‘66
Beverly Backofen, ‘69
Dennis Palka, ‘71
Alexandria McGee, ‘73