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HISTORY OF THE IOWA BRAILLE AND SIGHT SAVING SCHOOL
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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.
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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.
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Iowa Asylum for the Blind 1853 - 1855
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Institution for the Instruction of the Blind 1855 - 1860
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Iowa Institution for the Education of the Blind 1860 - 1872
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Iowa College for the Blind 1872 - 1929
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Iowa School for the Blind 1929 - 1951
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Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School 1951 - Present
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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The following have served as superintendents of the school:
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1853 - 1862 Samuel Bacon
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1862 - 1864 Orlando Clarke
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1864 - 1867 Reed Wilkinson
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1867 - 1869 Gen. James L. Geddes
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1869 - 1875 S. A. Knapp
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1875 - 1876 Orlando Clarke
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1876 - 1877 J. B. Parmalee
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1877 - 1882 Robert Carothers
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1882 - 1907 Thomas McCune
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1907 - 1910 Joseph Vance
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1910 - 1918 George D. Eaton
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1918 - 1939 Francis E. Palmer
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1939 - 1948 Leslie M. Hays
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1948 - 1949 Carl Gernetzky
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1949 - 1960 Donald W. Overbeay
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1960 - 1964 Lee A. Iverson
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1964 - 1966 Don L. Walker
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1966 - 1969 Robert A. Hansen
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1969 - 1972 Frank Rocco
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1972 - 1977 Charles C. Woodcock
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1977 - 1986 Richard M. DeMott
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1987 - 2005 W. Dennis Thurman
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2005 - 2008 Jeanann Schild (Interim Superintendent)
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2008 - Patrick Clancy
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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.
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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.
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Iowa Braille School Alumni Association
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P.O. Box 87
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Vinton, Iowa 52349
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president@ibsssalumni.org -- Robert Spangler
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vice@ibsssalumni.org -- Jeannie Miller
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secretary@ibsssalumni.org -- Julie Piper
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treasurer@ibsssalumni.org -- Stephen Barber
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