Assembly Resolution No. 1483

BY: M. of A. Clark

COMMEMORATING the 150th Anniversary of the
Rochester School for the Deaf

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize and
commemorate those enduring institutions whose commitment to education,
service, and community enrichment has contributed significantly to the
quality of life in the State of New York; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the Rochester School for the Deaf,
to be celebrated with a Gala on Saturday, October 24, 2026; and

WHEREAS, Founded on February 3, 1876, and opened to students on
October 4, 1876, the Rochester School for the Deaf was originally
established under the name Western New York Institution for Deaf Mutes;
in April of 1920, the institution officially became known as the
Rochester School for the Deaf; and

WHEREAS, Located at 1545 St. Paul Street in Rochester, New York, the
Rochester School for the Deaf is a private, tuition-free school serving
deaf and hard-of-hearing students from pre-kindergarten through 12th
grade, and stands today as one of the oldest and most respected schools
of its kind in the United States; and

WHEREAS, The origins of the Rochester School for the Deaf are deeply
rooted in the compassion and vision of the Perkins family, particularly
Mr. and Mrs. Gilman Perkins, whose concern for their deaf daughter,
Carolyn, and for other children in the community with hearing loss
inspired the establishment of the school; and

WHEREAS, Through the efforts of Zenas Westervelt, then a teacher at
the Maryland School for the Deaf, who identified deaf and
hard-of-hearing children throughout Western New York who lacked access
to education, and with the encouragement and support of Mrs. Perkins and
other civic-minded citizens, the school was founded to provide
educational opportunities to children who had long been underserved; and

WHEREAS, After initially operating in downtown Rochester, the school
relocated in 1878 to its present campus on the east bank of the Genesee
River, where it has remained a cornerstone of deaf education for nearly
a century and a half; and

WHEREAS, From its earliest years, the Rochester School for the Deaf
established itself as a pioneer in educational innovation;
Superintendent Zenas Westervelt developed the "Rochester Method,"
combining the manual alphabet with speech to strengthen students'
engagement with the English language; and

WHEREAS, Further advancing the field of deaf education, Edmund Lyon,
a friend of the Perkins family, developed the Lyon Phonetic System, a
manual phonetic finger alphabet representing the sounds of speech, which

was unveiled in 1891 before what is now known as the Alexander Graham
Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing; and

WHEREAS, Today, the Rochester School for the Deaf serves students
from a 21-county region of New York State and provides comprehensive
educational services for deaf and hard-of-hearing children from birth
through age 21, including an Early Childhood Center, K-12 Regents-level
academic instruction, residential life programming, athletics, and
family support services; and

WHEREAS, Committed to academic excellence and accessibility, the
Rochester School for the Deaf provides bilingual instruction in both
American Sign Language and English, maintains an approximate
student-to-teacher ratio of 5:1, and serves a diverse student body
representing a broad spectrum of racial and ethnic backgrounds; and

WHEREAS, Through programs such as Signs for All, the school extends
its mission beyond the classroom by offering American Sign Language
instruction and outreach opportunities to families and members of the
broader community; and

WHEREAS, The school's sesquicentennial celebration will include an
Anniversary Gala on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency
Rochester, as well as an Alumni Reunion on October 23-24, featuring
campus archive tours, alumni events, class photographs, and athletic
activities celebrating generations of students, faculty, and staff; and

WHEREAS, Furthermore, the school's 150th Anniversary logo
prominently features Perkins Hall, the first building constructed on
campus, which remains an enduring symbol of home, heritage, and
community for countless alumni and educators; and

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and
applaud those institutions whose enduring legacy of service has
strengthened the educational, cultural, and civic fabric of the State of
New York; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the Rochester School for the Deaf
and to honor its extraordinary legacy of educational leadership,
innovation, and service to deaf and hard-of-hearing children and
families throughout New York State; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the Rochester School for the Deaf.