Woman Leaves $6 Million to Gallaudet

Interesting. Did a deaf oral woman influence Virginia May Binns, who left behind more than $6 million dollars of her estate to Gallaudet University, to donate most of her estate to Gallaudet because of her ability to read lips and speak with Virginia May Binns who is hearing?

To Amy McGlone, Binns was something more.

McGlone lived a few houses down from the former bacteriologist and daughter of prominent city residents Frances Stoner and Charles D. Binns. In her youth, McGlone visited Binns in her Charles Street home nearly every day to play with the dogs.

Born partially deaf, McGlone communicated with Binns by reading her lips. She said Binns was surprised at first that she could speak.

"She was a remarkable woman," McGlone, 31, said.

Binns was 89 when she died in February 2006. She spent the last years of her life at Hughes Home on Caroline Street.

"I think it's great," McGlone said of the donation.

As a young girl, McGlone spent summers at Gallaudet workshops to learn different communication techniques.

Did an oral deaf woman, while growing up, impressed Virginia May Binns of her ability to speak and read lips enough so that over years decided to leave a good portion of her estate to Gallaudet Univesity thinking the money will help more deaf people to learn to speak and read lips? The money will help fund the James Lee Sorenson Language and Communication Center?

Binns' gift will be used to support Gallaudet's newest building, the James Lee Sorenson Language and Communication Center.

Was Binns somehow mislead about what she thought her money could do for at Gallaudet University? I couldn't help but wonder what the stipulations were for Gallaudet University on exactly how the money will be used to support the James Lee Sorenson Language and Communication Center (main website is down, link is to an archive site)?

Now, didn't some students protest over this planned building because it appears to represent "audism"? While others did not see it as a problem to have that building? Even Davila said that "the SLCC is very much a deaf and ASL-centered building." You can go here and see the what the building looks like and see who else has donated (start on page 31 to see donations so far though not up to date). Check out the floor plans, too.

Will Gallaudet University maintain its "ASL-only" campus when it comes to communicating or will there be someday a cued speech center on the campus of Gallaudet University ? Gallaudet University already has a Cochlear Implant Education Center. Would it be fair to surmise the direction Gallaudet is heading when it comes to cochlear implant, speech center, ASL, cued speech, the expanding technology to help with communication access and so on? What will the campus' communication be like in 2028, 20 years from now? More use of speech and less signing, or the opposite? Will Virginia May Binns' money help Gallaudet University or not?