Dr. Albert Louis Edgerton Crouter
1867-1925
In 1909, the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf (PSD)
shocked the nation when the superintendent announced the school banned the
use of sign language in classrooms and use oral exclusively. Superintendent Dr. Albert Louis
Edgerton Crouter caused it all. I will explain some backgrounds of the
School and Crouter himself. The
PSD was a well-known school in nation and was considered a largest residence
school in the United States of America. During 1860's the school had around 190 students. The superintendents Dr. Hutton and Dr.
Foster from the year 1823 to 1884, believed strongly on the use of sign language
in the classrooms. Their philosophy
was very simple. They believed
the things should not change drastically nor accepted new ideas. They were
taught signs by a legend Deaf man, Laurent Clerc. He was an acting Superintendent when the
school was opened in 1820. He
stayed there 7 months.
Crouter came from Canada. His first teaching job was in Kansas School
for the Deaf in 1865. The school
offered him a principalship but he declined and accepted a teaching position
at the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf in 1867. He was only 23 years old. He stayed there for 58 years.
In 1870, the school gave a trial to have an oral
class but it was failed after a few years. It was not successful at all.
When Superintendent Foster retired in 1884, Crouter
succeeded him. First thing he
acted was to establish an oral section. That was a separate building from those students who used signs.
He also improved the condition of the classrooms and provided the students
with textbooks and materials. Later
years the enrollment was enlarged to almost 800 students.
Crouter first met Alexander Graham Bell when he
was teaching in a classroom. Bell
was walking pass Crouter's classroom with a Philadelphia Star reporter. Later in the day they met and chatted
for a while. It was in the year of 1877.
Crouter had heard of him before by his works relating with inventions
and speech for the Deaf children.
During Crouter’s superintendency, he became
a close friend with Bell. They
worked closely and set up an organization called Volta Bureau, the present
name is Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf. Dr. Crouter was an actively involved in
the Association. He served as
a president and a director since its foundation in 1892 and stayed until 1925.
Deaf people's perspective on Crouter; Crouter was
respected or loved by many Deaf people. He had a very remarkable memory of Deaf people's faces that
he could not forget them. He
was very supportive in the Pennsylvania Society for the Advancement of the
Deaf (PSAD) that was founded in 1881.
The society's main objective was having a Home for the Aged and Infirm
Deaf. Dr. Crouter played a big part in establishing
the Home which he not only gave advice, but a financially support as well.
He rarely missed the PSAD convention that held annually.
He communicated with the Deaf people through signs.
Back to the school, in the year of 1907 the Board
of Directors of the School decided that the use of oralism in the classroom
was a failure. They decided to
strip it away and returned signs in the classrooms. But Crouter stopped them and convinced
the Board Members. He suggested
that the board to set up a committee to explore deeper about oralism and collect
information from various oral schools in the America and Europe. The board agreed and Crouter appointed
himself and did the research, again all by himself. When he returned with
the information, he convinced the Board that the oralism was the best way
to educate the Deaf children. Then
in the year 1909, the school decided to ban the use of signs and use oral
exclusively in the classrooms. The school, for 25 years, had two separate
buildings, one for oral class and another one was for signs. The students who used signs had a big influence on those oral
students. That was the main reason
why the school decided to ban the use of signs on campus.
Ironically, in 1910, the PSAD gave Crouter an expensive
plague for his loyal dedication and a great service to the Deaf people.
Upon his receiving the plague, He told the audience, signing, "I
want to talk directly to you, I do not want to use speech or use an interpreter..."
Crouter wrote a letter to Edward Miner Gallaudet,
President of Gallaudet University, suggested him to establish a separate building
for deaf oralists on the same campus. In his long letter, he added that if Gallaudet
did not approve his idea, he would act to build up another college for deaf
oralists. Gallaudet replied him in a long letter, too, stated that it would
be foolish to have another college for deaf oralists, the main reasons for
it was financially and that the college could serve various kinds of hearing
loss individuals.
When Crouter died in 1925 at age of 79, he received
many appreciation letters from all over the United States of America, and
even in Europe. He got a few
of such from Deaf people. In his will, he asked to have a body viewing in
the school, knowing that Deaf people could come and specifically asked for
6 Deaf pallbearers. He was buried
in Vermont.
Warren Smaltz, one of the Board member of PSAD
recalled his encounter with Crouter. Warren Smaltz acknowledged that Dr. Crouter
was success in educating the Deaf must be ascribed his love for them, and
to his sincere devotion. He also
regarded his work as a service rendered to God. He was a loyal churchgoer.
He attended the Church where the Deaf people attended.
The Priest was also a Deaf man. He was Rev. Henry Winter Syle, the
first Deaf to be ordained into priesthood.
A few years ago, Mr. Smaltz asked him, "Why he labored to impart
speech to all the deaf, however, inapt some of his pupils may be." In
answer he opened a Prayer book and pointed to the vesicle: O' Lord, open thou
our lips, then he pointed to the responses: And our mouth shall show forth
Thy praise"
When Crouter died in 1925, he requested to have 4 Deaf ball bearers. He was buried in New Hampshire.