North Omaha in Douglas County, Nebraska — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Nebraska School for the Deaf

December 27, 2024

1. Nebraska School for the Deaf Marker

Inscription. The Nebraska School for the Deaf was established by the legislature in 1867. It opened April 1, 1869, on Twenty-Second Street between St. Mary and Leavenworth, overseen by Principal William DeCoursey French, a deaf man, and Rev. Henry W. Kuhns. Katie Callahan of Omaha was the first student. The school moved to this location in 1871.

American Sign Language (ASL) was the mode of instruction until the Nebraska Legislature banned it from the classroom in 1911. The change was advocated by oralists, who believed the deaf should learn to communicate by voice and lip-reading to better assimilate into society. Nevertheless, students and faculty persisted in using ASL outside the classroom until it was restored to the curriculum in the 1970s.

Among the school's achievements was its 1931 Class A state championship boys' basketball team. By the 1990s the trend of enrolling deaf children in public schools caused the school's student population to decline and it closed June 5, 1998. For 129 years the School for the Deaf educated more than two thousand students who achieved success in many walks of life.

Erected 2012 by Nebraska

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School for the Deaf Alumni Association, Nebraska Deaf Heritage Museum and Cultural Center, Nebraska State Historical Society. (Marker Number 181.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Education. In addition, it is included in the Nebraska State Historical Society series list. A significant historical date for this entry is April 1, 1869.

Location. 41° 17.201′ N, 95° 58.817′ W. Marker is in Omaha, Nebraska, in Douglas County. It is in North Omaha. It is on 45th Street 0.1 miles north of Binney Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3223 N 45th St, Omaha NE 68104, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Eastern Nebraska. It is also in the American Midwest,

in the Lewis & Clark Corridor,

in the Corn Belt,

and on the prairies.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Malcolm “X”

December 27, 2024

2. Nebraska School for the Deaf Marker

(approx. 0.9 miles away); Spanish-American War Memorial (approx. 1.2 miles away); John Wesley Nichols (approx. 1.2 miles away); William Davis Brown (approx. 1.2 miles away); Alfred Sorenson (approx. 1.2 miles away); Joseph Francis Bauman (approx. 1.2 miles away); Andrew Jackson Poppleton (approx. 1.2 miles away); Johan and Sophia Ahmanson (approx. 1.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Omaha.

Also see . . . A History of the Nebraska School for the Deaf – NorthOmahaHistory.com. (Submitted on January 28, 2025.)

Credits. This page was last revised on February 17, 2025. It was originally submitted on January 28, 2025. This page has been viewed 441 times since then and 55 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 28, 2025.