1860s
A little deaf Black boy, aged 5 or 6, named Henry Bell, was the first recognized student who led to the foundation of the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf (WPSD). His sign name is the handshape “H,” which moves from top to bottom on the side of the face, similar to the sign for “deaf.” This sign was chosen to honor Henry as the first student in WPSD’s history.
In late summer 1868, a young German boy, one of the regular attendees of the Mission Sabbath School connected to the Third United Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, introduced Henry Bell to Rev. Joel Kerr, the superintendent of the school. The German boy, eager to claim a ticket for bringing a new student, told Rev. Kerr that Henry couldn’t hear, talk, or read. Upon meeting him, Rev. Kerr observed that Henry seemed bright and active.
Rev. Kerr brought Henry into the classroom, but Henry mumbled and made strange noises that disturbed the other students. Frustrated, Rev. Kerr sent Henry out of the room. Henry, puzzled by this, climbed through a small window in the door, determined to rejoin the class. Rev. Kerr, surprised by Henry’s persistence, realized the need to teach deaf children but didn’t know how to communicate with him.
Fortunately, a young lady working at the school informed Rev. Kerr that she had a deaf relative who had attended the Pennsylvania Institute for the Deaf and Dumb (now PSD) in Philadelphia. With this connection, William Drum was brought in to teach Henry. Mr. Drum taught Henry the manual alphabet (fingerspelling), the use of signs, and the meaning of simple words and sentences. Through Rev. Kerr’s efforts, eight children from the Pittsburgh area were gathered to form a school, and a Sabbath School for the Deaf and Dumb was organized.
However, challenges arose. One of the students’ mothers objected to her child being in the same room as a Black boy. In response, Archibald “Archie” Woodside, a former student at the Pennsylvania Institute for the Deaf and Dumb, was hired to assist Mr. Drum. Attendance quickly grew to 12–15 students.
Rev. Kerr’s pastor, Rev. John G. Brown of the Third United Presbyterian Church, became interested in the school’s mission. With the support of John Wilson, a prominent member of the congregation and chairman of the Central Board of Education of Pittsburgh, a grant of $800 was secured to fund the school. A room in the public school building on Short Street was donated for use, and books and supplies were contributed by benevolent supporters.
On September 6, 1869, the Pittsburgh Day School for the Deaf and Dumb officially opened with 14 students, including Henry Bell. It became the first day school for deaf children in the United States. Archie Woodside and F.H. Murray were hired as teachers, and Archie’s hearing sister, Sarah, who was proficient in sign language, also joined as a teacher. Attendance soon grew to 25–30 students.
A Boston newspaper later argued that their city had conceived the idea of a day school for the deaf before Pittsburgh. However, Pittsburgh’s school opened first, cementing its place in history.
As the school grew, the need for a home for children who lived too far to commute daily became apparent. A house on Second Avenue was rented and furnished to serve as a residence. Ten to twelve pupils lived there, receiving food and clothing in addition to their education.