Oklahoma School for the Deaf

The Oklahoma School for the Deaf was located at Guthrie before statehood.  The school was under the direction of a special board of trustees just as Oklahoma colleges are today.  This board of Trustees met at the Artesian Hotel in Sulphur on June 18, 1908 for the purpose of deciding on the location of a temporary site for the school.  The board at that time was made up of  E.D. Cameron, Charles Burks and John R. Miller. 

A committee representing the commercial club of Sulphur met with the Board and offered to erect a brick building seventy-five feet by one hundred twenty feet in length with basement and two stories.  The building would be rent-free and could be ready by the beginning of September 1, 1908 for the school year 1908-1909. 

Although the school was originally put here on a temporary basis, the State of Oklahoma appropriated $100,000 in 1909-1910 for the construction of four new buildings.  The new buildings were ready for the 1914-1915 school year.  In 1911, there were 207 students.

Biography of Dr. J. W. Blattner

OSD Administration Building - 1920's

OSD First building - 1913

OSD Staff - 1923  -  Thelma Cravens 2nd row, 2nd from left..

Contributed by Dennis Muncrief - August, 2003.