1. Robert Davila

2. Early Childhood Born hearing on July 19, 1932 Parents were from Mexico, and worked in the fields and orchards of Southern California Spanish was his first language Became deaf at age 8 from a severe case of spinal meningitis

3. Childhood Went to California School for the Deaf Learned English and ASL Worked hard First person in family to finish high school Graduated with honors

4. Gallaudet University Graduated class of 1953 (same year he married his wife, Donna Lou Ekstrom) –2 sons, Brian and Brent Wanted to become a teacher Worked at New York School for the Deaf

5. Awards First deaf person ever elected president of: –Convention of American Instructors of the Deaf –Council on Education of the Deaf –Conference of Educational Administrators of the Deaf

6. Extended Education Ph. D at Syracuse University in Educational Technology and Curriculum Development Became a full time teacher at GU

7. Facts Became President of Gallaudet University on January 1, 2007. Supervised elementary schools for the deaf

8. Facts cont. holds honorary degrees from Gallaudet, RIT, Stonehill College, and Hunter College.

9. Sources http://library.rit.edu/depts/archives/deafhist ory/davila.htmhttp://library.rit.edu/depts/archives/deafhist ory/davila.htm http://aaweb.gallaudet.edu/About_Gallaud et/History_of_the_University/Presidents/D avila_Robert.htmlhttp://aaweb.gallaudet.edu/About_Gallaud et/History_of_the_University/Presidents/D avila_Robert.html http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0842/ is_n2_v15/ai_8201155/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0842/ is_n2_v15/ai_8201155/