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HISTORY OF THE IOWA BRAILLE AND SIGHT SAVING SCHOOL

     In October of 1852 Samuel Bacon opened a private school in Keokuk with four blind children from that community in attendance. through the efforts of Mr. Bacon and his students the issue of education the blind was taken to the state legislature by Senator Love and in January of 1853 a bill was passed establishing the Iowa Asylum for the Blind to be located at Iowa City.  The first classes opened in April of that year with Mr. Bacon being the teacher.

     Mr. Bacon did not like the name given to the school and pushed for the name to be changed.  The name was changed to the Institution for the Instruction of the Blind in 1855.  The school has had several name changes since its founding.

Iowa Asylum for the Blind                                                                              1853 - 1855

Institution for the Instruction of the Blind                                                       1855 - 1860

Iowa Institution for the Education of the Blind                                              1860 - 1872

Iowa College for the Blind                                                                                   1872 - 1929

Iowa School for the Blind                                                                                1929 - 1951

Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School                                                           1951 - Present

     The population of the school has always been somewhat low but considering the number of blind in the state this is to be expected. In 1853 the school opened with one pupil in attendance and by the close of that session fourteen months later had grown to 23.

     Tuition to the school was not entirely free, for records indicate that $2,000.00 was appropriated from the legislature, and $2,889.00 was received from tuition. Tuition was free only for the very poor and indigent. Qualifying parents had to be put through the embarrassment of providing proof of their inability to pay in order that their children could be admitted without cost. Samuel Bacon felt the provision was totally unfair, and among his initial proposals was the removal of any “distinction between rich and poor.”  The law was later amended in 1855 to entitle all eligible Iowa residents an education at the expense of the state.

     The first building used by the school was a seven room house known as the Fisher House, located on the bank of the Iowa River. This building was quickly outgrown forcing the school to move to its second home. This was a large brick building, known as the Old Land Office, located on the corner of College and Johnson streets.  The school moved two more times before the Board of Trustees request for a permanent location was addressed.  The General Assembly appointed a commission of three to select a site and to oversee the construction of buildings. Mr. Bacon and others at the school wanted the school to be located near the newly founded state university but the search was opened to any community in the state. 

     The commission was limited by the requirement that the community desiring the institution must make a donation of forty acres of land and subscribe $5,000.00 toward the construction of the building.  The state would then appropriate an additional $15,000.00, but the total cost of the buildings and furnishings was not to exceed $20,000.00

     Through the efforts of Captain Thomas Drummond, editor of the Vinton Eagle, the community of Vinton met the necessary requirements of land and money.  The commission met at Vinton in May 1858 and selected the site, a gift of J. W. O. Webb and others.  One of their members, Mr. Traer, was then appointed to investigate similar institutions to see how they were equipped and operated.  Upon return from his tour of investigation of the Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin schools, the commission decided to ignore the $20,000.00 limitation as set down by the legislature and, in 1859, began to construct a building from plans that called for a $50,000.00 investment!  The plans called for a four story building of lime stone. With only the foundation and three stories walls completed, the commission came before the General Assembly in 1860 and asked for an additional, unheard of sum  of $40,000.00.  The commission, instead of receiving an expected approval, met with strong opposition and a reprimand for exceeding the 1858 limitations. Governor James Grimes relieved the three men of their duties and appointed a single commissioner to replace them. Told that all work must be approved by the Governor, the new commissioner proceeded to complete the building with the stipulation that the total final costs would not exceed $20,000.00.

     At the close of the spring session in 1862 Samuel Bacon resigned his position as superintendent.  He felt the move to Vinton was going to hurt the education of the blind by taking the school away from the State University.  

The following have served as superintendents of the school: 

1853 - 1862    Samuel Bacon          

1862 - 1864    Orlando Clarke              

1864 - 1867    Reed Wilkinson                        

1867 - 1869    Gen. James L. Geddes          

1869 - 1875    S. A. Knapp                             

1875 - 1876    Orlando Clarke                        

1876 - 1877    J. B. Parmalee                        

1877 - 1882    Robert Carothers                      

1882 - 1907    Thomas McCune                     

1907 - 1910    Joseph Vance                        

1910 - 1918    George D. Eaton                     

1918 - 1939    Francis E. Palmer                   

1939 - 1948    Leslie M. Hays

1948 - 1949    Carl Gernetzky

1949 - 1960    Donald W. Overbeay

1960 - 1964    Lee A. Iverson

1964 - 1966    Don L. Walker

1966 - 1969    Robert A. Hansen

1969 - 1972    Frank Rocco

1972 - 1977    Charles C. Woodcock

1977 - 1986    Richard M. DeMott

1987 - 2005    W. Dennis Thurman

2005 - 2008    Jeanann Schild (Interim Superintendent)

2008 -               Patrick Clancy

     The school opened in October in Vinton with 24 students and by the end of the session in June of 1863 that number had grown to 60. 

     The President of the Board of Trustees, Elija Sells, suggested introducing  had proposed the introduction of Braille to the school in 1862 and on March 2, 1863 a student from the St. Louise Institution for the Blind was brought to the school to teach the students the new braille system of raised dots. The St. Louise School was the first to introduce Braille into the United States.  

Iowa Braille School Alumni Association

P.O. Box 87

Vinton, Iowa 52349

president@ibsssalumni.org -- Robert Spangler

vice@ibsssalumni.org -- Jeannie Miller

secretary@ibsssalumni.org -- Julie Piper

treasurer@ibsssalumni.org -- Stephen Barber