Gallaudet University was the first school for the advanced education of the deaf. The university was named after Thomas Gallaudet, a notable figure in the advancement of deaf persons education.
It was established in Washington, DC as the National Deaf Mute College on February 16, 1857.
Student strikes at Gallaudet University starting March 9, 1988 revolutionized the perception and education of Deaf people as a culture. Deaf students were outraged at the selection of another in a line of university presidents who were hearing, finding it patronizing, marginalizing, and inappropriate for such an essential part of the Deaf community. In less than a week of activism, the president-elect, who had also been criticized for malapropos statements about the functionality of Deaf people, resigned and a Deaf president replaced her.
