STATE SCHOOL FOR BLIND [SSB]A school for the Deaf/Blind children of the Negro race was established by Legislative Act No. 159, on July 7, 1920 when Governor John M. Parker approved Act No. 159, Section 1 of which reads: "Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Louisiana . . . That there shall be established a state school for the benefit of deaf and blind children of the Negro race whose condition is such that they cannot profitably attend the regular public schools."The Blind division was put into operation in 1922. The Deaf division did not operate as a separate unit, with separate faculty and buildings, until the session, 1938-1939. This deaf institution was known as the Louisiana State School for Deaf [LSSD] Negroes.The responsibility of getting the institution started fell upon Dr. Joseph S. Clark, president of Southern University and A&M Collegefor he was made Superintendent before the brick and mortar stage. The institution was domiciled upon the property of Southern University and Agricultural and Mechanical College. Initial appropriation was too small to erect physical plants and provide operating expenses for both the blind and the deaf. This fact did not discourage Dr. Clark. Building and some equipment were secured for one institution. And so it came about that the Louisiana School for Blind Children opened its doors in October, 1922 with 16 pupils and a faculty of three. Under his superintendence, Miss Naomi Rushing served as the first principal.While these two divisions were established as one school, the constitution, adopted in 1921, which was prior to the opening of either division recognized the divisions as two separate schools and listed the State School for Blind Negroes and the State School for Deaf Negroes as among the institutions under the management of the state board of education. While both institutions have the sameCompiled by:Angela V. Proctor, ArchivistJohn B. Cade LibrarySouthern University and A&M College
