Empire State Association of the Deaf collection
RIT/NTID Deaf Studies Archives
Table of Contents
Collection Overview
- Title
- Empire State Association of the Deaf collection
- Inclusive Date(s)
- 1936-2006
- Abstract
- Records of the Empire State Association of the Deaf (ESAD). ESAD is an independent, nonprofit organization that advocates on local and state levels for the rights of deaf and hard-of-hearing citizens.
- Extent
- 18.0 Linear feet (24 File boxes, 2 Document boxes, 1 Oversize folder)
- Location
- C.S. North, Shelves 181, 187, 193, 199, 200, 205, 206, 211, 212
- Repository
- RIT Archive Collections
RIT Libraries
Wallace Center
90 Lomb Memorial Drive
Rochester, New York, 14623
(585) 475-2557
raswml@rit.edu
- Language
- English
Historical Information for Empire State Association of the Deaf
The Empire State Association of the Deaf (ESAD) is an independent, nonprofit organization that advocates on local and state levels for the rights of deaf and hard-of-hearing citizens. Founded in 1865 as the Empire State Association of Deaf Mutes by the graduates and former pupils of the New York Institution for the Deaf, it is the oldest state association of the deaf. ESAD became affiliated with the National Association of the Deaf in 1941 and received its incorporation papers in 1942.
ESAD is governed by its executive board which consists of three officers - president, vice president, and secretary-treasurer; eight branch directors; two directors-at-large; and executive secretary.
Scope and Content
The ESAD records range in date from the 33rd biennial convention of 1936 in Binghamton to a 1999 Policy Manual. The Association does not maintain central offices; this collection therefore reflects business that was conducted via the mail and at board meetings and conventions held in various locations.
The records include correspondence between board members and branch representatives, meeting minutes, and convention proceedings dating from the late 1930s to the mid 1990s. The records from the 1970s and 1990s are less complete than the other decades. Financial records consist of treasurers’ reports, ledger books, bank statements, tax-exempt documents, and spread-sheets. The evolution of ESAD’s constitution and bylaws can be traced from a photocopy of the 1867 version to that of 1997. There is a list of members’ names and addresses from 1940; additional membership information dates from the 1960s and 1980s and is arranged by branch.
Arrangement
The collection is roughly arranged chronologically by subject.
Additional Finding Aids
In addition to this finding aid, an inventory is available below. For more information, please contact the RIT Archive Collections.
Subject Headings
Corporate Name(s)
- Empire State Association of the Deaf.
Subject(s)
- Deaf -- Associations, institutions, etc.
- Deaf -- New York (State)
Genre(s)
- Correspondence
- Minutes
- Reports
Information for Researchers
Preferred Citation
Empire State Association of the Deaf collection, RIT/NTID Deaf Studies Archives
Restrictions on Access
This collection is open to researchers.
Administrative Information
Collection ID
RITDSA.0022
Accession Information
Accession number(s): 07:26
Source of Acquisition
The Empire State Association of the Deaf collection was brought to the Deaf Studies Archives by Kathy Dollinger-Meyer of the NTID Center on Employment. The first and largest collection was donated to NTID by the organization, based on NTID's longstanding support of the organization. Alan Hurwitz served as president of ESAD from 1975-1979.
Processing Information
Finding aid created by Amy Vilz in October 2011.