LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending Helen Keller Services for the Blind
upon the occasion of hosting its 33rd Anniversary Sound & Light Gala on
Thursday, September 17, 2009

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize that the
quality and character of life in the communities across New York State
are reflective of the concerned and dedicated efforts of those organiza-
tions and individuals who would devote themselves to the welfare of the
community and its citizenry; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend
Helen Keller Services for the Blind upon the occasion of hosting its
33rd Anniversary Sound & Light Gala to be held at Stage 6 at Steiner
Studios, Brooklyn Navy Yard, on Thursday, September 17, 2009; and
WHEREAS, At this year's Gala, Helen Keller Services for the Blind will
pay special tribute to its esteemed President, Fred W. McPhilliamy, who
is retiring after 18 years of dedicated service; and
WHEREAS, Fred McPhilliamy has diligently served as President of Helen
Keller Services for the Blind since 1991; as President, he was responsi-
ble for maintaining and strengthening the mission of Helen Keller
Services for the Blind within the community as a pioneer in the field of
blindness rehabilitation; and
WHEREAS, Prior to becoming President, Fred W. McPhilliamy had a long
and expansive career at Brooklyn Union Gas, holding positions such as
Senior Vice President of Human Resources; Secretary of Insurance and
Claims, Real Estate and Stockholder Relations; Treasurer of Banking
Relationships and Financing; and Vice President of Customer Service and
Insurance Claims; and
WHEREAS, As a philanthropist, Fred W. McPhilliamy has served on numer-
ous boards of directors including the Angel Guardian Home; Brooklyn
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children; St. Francis College;
St. Joseph College; Helen Keller Services for the Blind (before his
tenure as President); and The Brooklyn Club; he earned a Bachelor of
Arts in Business from St. John's University; and
WHEREAS, Under Fred W. McPhilliamy's leadership, Helen Keller Services
for the Blind has continued to fulfill its mission of helping individ-
uals of all ages who are blind or visually impaired, and who may have
additional disabilities, to develop independence and to participate
actively in their communities; and
WHEREAS, The history of this illustrious organization begins on Novem-
ber 2, 1883, when 17-year-old Eben Porter Morford was caught in a trage-
dy that resulted in him becoming completely blind; undeterred, he went
on to successfully train at The New York Institute for the Education of
the Blind; and
WHEREAS, Upon the completion of his studies, Eben Porter Morford real-
ized that there were almost no employment opportunities for blind
people; he did not understand as he reasoned that blindness was phys-
ical; vision was mental and spiritual; blindness need not destroy
patience, fortitude, ingenuity, courage, and the will to win; and
WHEREAS, Holding true to these beliefs, in 1886, Eben Porter Morford
gathered a small group of blind men and women together at the Baptist
Home on Throop and Greene Avenues in Brooklyn; the society was named the
Mizpah Circle and its purpose was for advancing socially and financially
those less fortunate than themselves; and
WHEREAS, On October 1, 1893, the Industrial Home for Blind Men, under
the auspices of the Mizpah Circle, opened its doors; Eben Morford acted
as superintendent and by 1894, 17 blind men lived in the Home; ten were

employed producing 416 cane seats, 28 hair mattresses, and 4,500 brooms;
and
WHEREAS, Within two years, on April 25, 1895, the Industrial Home for
the Blind of the City of Brooklyn, (IHB) was incorporated; for 50 years
the IHB confined itself to services to blind men; the Brooklyn Bureau of
Social Services and The Association for Improving the Condition of the
Poor offered services to blind women; however, when these services were
diminished, IHB opened its doors to women; and
WHEREAS, The IHB programs continued to flourish and in the post war
years, a formal program for people who were deaf-blind was started; the
agency shifted from the single focus of employment to a more comprehen-
sive program of education and rehabilitation; and
WHEREAS, During the 1950s, services were established in Nassau and
Suffolk Counties; Burrwood, a residence for senior citizens who were
blind and deaf-blind, was established on Long Island; the IHB also
founded a nursery school for blind children; in 1952, IHB established a
Braille and Large Print Library to make sure that textbooks were avail-
able for children who were blind and mainstreamed within their local
schools; in 1953, a summer day camp was opened to encourage partic-
ipation in sports, music and drama; and
WHEREAS, IHB initiated a major blindness prevention program in 1967
for pre-school children on Long Island; with the assistance of volun-
teers, IHB staff identified children who needed immediate medical inter-
vention in order to prevent vision loss; and
WHEREAS, In 1967, the Helen Keller National Center (HKNC) was estab-
lished by a unanimous act of Congress and IHB was chosen to operate the
program which provided comprehensive rehabilitation training for people
with a severe dual sensory loss or impairment; and
WHEREAS, Temporary training facilities were created in New Hyde Park
and in 1976, HKNC's new headquarters opened a 25 acre site in Sands
Point, Long Island; the Center's national services expanded to include
several regional offices, affiliate agencies, and later a National
Training Team, Technical Assistance Center, National Parent Network, and
Services for Older Adults; and
WHEREAS, In 1983, IHB established a day treatment program for adults
who were developmentally disabled and who were also blind or deaf-blind;
in 1985, the Board of Trustees decided to change the name of The Indus-
trial Home for the Blind (IHB) to Helen Keller Services for the Blind
(HKSB); and
WHEREAS, New programs continued to develop, and the Parent/Infant
Program was established in 1988; it provided intensive therapeutic and
educational services for preschoolers and infants who were blind; that
same year, HKSB established Supported Employment services to provide
ongoing individualized long-term support at the job site; and
WHEREAS, Over the years, program and facility changes have been made,
as needed, to reflect the needs of a diverse population of persons who
live in the New York City Metropolitan Area; and
WHEREAS, Throughout its distinguished history, Helen Keller Services
for the Blind has served tens of thousands of blind and visually
impaired individuals throughout the New York metropolitan area; and
WHEREAS, As President Fred W. McPhilliamy steps downs and HKSB moves
on into a new era, it is well prepared and positioned to continue its
commitment to the mission of enabling people of all ages who are visual-
ly impaired, blind or deaf-blind to lead their lives as independently as
possible within their own communities; and
WHEREAS, Organizations and individuals who are devoted to improving
the quality of life for others, enabling them to build lives of dignity

and self-worth are deserving of the highest praise and recognition; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend Helen Keller Services for the Blind upon the occasion of hosting
its 33rd Anniversary Sound & Light Gala and to honor President Fred W.
McPhilliamy upon the occasion of his retirement after 18 years of dedi-
cated service; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Fred W. McPhilliamy, President, Helen Keller Services for the
Blind.