Celebrating George Veditz Day

[VIDEO] The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) recognizes August 13th as the birthday of George Veditz and asks everyone to celebrate his birth by remembering his contributions to the world - particularly the preservation and promotion of sign language.

Born on August 13, 1861, George Veditz was the seventh President of the NAD, serving from 1904 to 1910. More importantly, he was one of the most ardent and visible advocates of American Sign Language. Veditz became deaf at the age of eight from scarlet fever, attended what is now known as the Maryland School of the Deaf in Frederick from 1875 to 1878, and then attended Gallaudet from 1880 to 1884. Upon graduation from Gallaudet, he taught at the Maryland School of the Deaf and then at the Colorado School for the Deaf. Always an educator, Veditz continued to teach throughout his life, and contributed much to the educational structure of the Colorado School for the Deaf.

It was Veditz who realized in the early 1900s that the newly developed technology of motion pictures were an ideal way to convey the beauty of sign language to the world. One of his motion pictures showing his passion for sign language was recently accepted into the Library of Congress [2]. Thanks to Veditz, sign languages all over the world continue to be documented via film.

Thanks to his gift to us, the NAD continues to advocate for the preservation, protection, and promotion of American Sign Language for all deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the United States.

Happy birthday, George Veditz!