StateofVermont
HouseofRepresentatives
Montpelier,Vermont
ConcurrentHouseResolution
H.C.R.103
OfferedbyRepresentativesBurkeofBrattleboro,GoodnowofBrattleboro,andKornheiserofBrattleboro
OfferedbySenatorsHarrisonandHashim
HouseconcurrentresolutioncommemoratingtheestablishmentoftheAustineSchoolfortheDeafcollection
andexhibitattheVermontHistoricalSocietyLibraryinBarre
Whereas,inthe19thcentury,BrevetColonelWilliamAustineofBrattleborodonated$50,000.00forthe
constructionofahospitalinthecommunity, and
Whereas,becauseahospitalalreadyexistedinBrattleboro,aftertheColonel’sdeath,hisestateexecutor
arrangedforthelegalredesignationofthegiftforthepurposeofestablishingaschoolfortheblindand
deaf, and
Whereas,theGeneralAssembly,in1904ActsandResolvesNo.276,incorporated“TheAustine
Sanitarium,”anditamendedthelegislationin1908ActsandResolvesNo.319togivetheneworganization
flexibilityindesignatinganame, and
Whereas,finally,in1910ActsandResolvesNo.74,theGeneralAssemblyappropriated$50,000.00“forthe
purposeoferectingasuitablebuildingorplantfortheuseofsaidcorporation,uponthelandownedbyitin
Brattleboro,Vermont”subjecttoitbeingusedforaschoolforthedeaf, and
Whereas,theAustineSchoolfortheDeafopenedinthefallof1912with16studentsandatthefirst
commencementin1914,bothAlexanderGrahamBellandHelenKellerwerespeakers, and
Whereas,operationoftheAustineSchoolfortheDeafcontinueduntil2014,andtheschool’shistoric
documentationandartifactsarelocatedattheWinstonProutyCenterinBrattleborounderthecuratorial
supervisionoftheAustineSchoolfortheDeafMuseumBoard,DonnaMarieAuditore-Pyne,President, and
Whereas,inordertoaffordgreaterprominencetothehistoryandroleoftheAustineSchoolfortheDeaf,a
selectcollectionoftheoldestartifactshasbeentransferredforexhibitiontotheVermontHistoricalSociety
LibraryinBarre,andadedicationceremony,atwhichStateofficialsspoke,occurredonOctober 26,2024,now
therefore be it
ResolvedbytheSenateandHouseofRepresentatives:
ThattheGeneralAssemblycommemoratestheestablishmentoftheAustineSchoolfortheDeafcollection
andexhibitattheVermontHistoricalSocietyLibraryinBarre,andbeitfurther
Resolved:ThattheSecretaryofStatebedirectedtosendacopyofthisresolutiontotheimmediatepast
chairoftheAustineSchoolfortheDeafMuseumBoardandtheVermontHistoricalSociety.