Robert Davila

Early Childhood

• Born hearing on July 19, 1932

• Parents were from Mexico, and worked in the fields and orchards of Southern California

• Spanish was his first language

• Became deaf at age 8 from a severe case of spinal meningitis

Childhood

• Went to California School for the Deaf

• Learned English and ASL

• Worked hard• First person in family

to finish high school• Graduated with

honors

Gallaudet University

• Graduated class of 1953 (same year he married his wife, Donna Lou Ekstrom)– 2 sons, Brian and Brent

• Wanted to become a teacher

• Worked at New York School for the Deaf

Awards

• First deaf person ever elected president of:

– Convention of American Instructors of the Deaf – Council on Education of the Deaf – Conference of Educational Administrators of

the Deaf

Extended Education

• Ph. D at Syracuse University in Educational Technology and Curriculum Development

• Became a full time teacher at GU

Facts

• Became President of Gallaudet University on January 1, 2007.

• Supervised elementary schools for the deaf

Facts cont.

• holds honorary degrees from Gallaudet, RIT, Stonehill College, and Hunter College.

Sources

• http://library.rit.edu/depts/archives/deafhistory/davila.htm

• http://aaweb.gallaudet.edu/About_Gallaudet/History_of_the_University/Presidents/Davila_Robert.html

• http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0842/is_n2_v15/ai_8201155/