Robert Davila (born July 19, 1932) served as the ninth president of

Gallaudet University Gallaudet University ( ) is a private federally chartered university in Washington, D.C., for the education of the deaf and hard of hearing. It was founded in 1864 as a grammar school for both deaf and blind children. It was the first school ...

,Presidents & Terms - Gallaudet University
the world's only

university A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

in which all programs and services are specifically designed to accommodate

deaf Deafness has varying definitions in cultural and medical contexts. In medical contexts, the meaning of deafness is hearing loss that precludes a person from understanding spoken language, an audiological condition. In this context it is written ...

and

hard of hearing Hearing loss is a partial or total inability to hear. Hearing loss may be present at birth or acquired at any time afterwards. Hearing loss may occur in one or both ears. In children, hearing problems can affect the ability to acquire spok ...

students. His appointment came after the wake of the Unity for Gallaudet Movement protests of 2006, when many students, staff, and alumni objected to the initial choice of

Jane Fernandes Jane Fernandes (born August 21, 1956) is an American educator and social justice advocate. As of August 2021, Fernandes is the President of Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. She previously served as president of Guilford College from 201 ...

as the intended next president.No-Confidence Vote for Gallaudet Leader
/ref>NPR: Fernandes Vows to Fight for Presidency of Gallaudet
/ref> It was originally intended that he serve only 18–24 months as an interim president, but the Board dropped the interim designation and then extended his contract to 36 months.

Early life

Robert Davila was born in southern

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

Mexican-American Mexican Americans are Americans of full or partial Mexican descent. In 2022, Mexican Americans comprised 11.2% of the US population and 58.9% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexican Americans were born in the United State ...

parents who worked in fields and orchards. At age eleven, he contracted spinal

meningitis Meningitis is acute or chronic inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, collectively called the meninges. The most common symptoms are fever, intense headache, vomiting and neck stiffness and occasion ...

and became deaf. When his mother learned about a school for the deaf in northern California, she sent him alone on a journey to the California School for the Deaf in Berkeley (which later moved to Fremont).

Education

Davila graduated from Gallaudet University, with a Bachelor's in Education in 1953. He then went to

Hunter College Hunter College is a public university in New York City, United States. It is one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York and offers studies in more than one hundred undergraduate and postgraduate fields across five schools ...

, graduating with a Master's in

Special Education Special education (also known as special-needs education, aided education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, and SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates their individual di ...

in 1963. To complete his education, he attended and graduated from

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York, United States. It was established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church but has been nonsectarian since 1920 ...

with a

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

Educational Technology Educational technology (commonly abbreviated as edutech, or edtech) is the combined use of computer hardware, software, and educational theory and practice to facilitate learning and teaching. When referred to with its abbreviation, "EdTech" ...

in 1972. He also has received honorary degrees from Gallaudet, RIT,

Stonehill College Stonehill College is a private Catholic college in Easton, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded in 1948 by the Congregation of Holy Cross and is located on the original estate of Frederick Lothrop Ames Jr., with 29 buildings that compl ...

, and

Professional career

Davila served as Assistant Secretary for the

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) is a program of the United States Department of Education. OSERS' official mission is "to provide leadership to achieve full integration and participation in society of people ...

of the US Department of Education from 1989 to 1993 during the administration of

George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...

.Davila fills Department of Education post
," ''Gallaudet Today'', Fall 1989, pp. 35-36. Educationally, Dr. Davila has experience teaching high school math, being an assistant principal, serving as a K-12 superintendent. He worked as professor, a college administrator and Vice President of

in the 1970s and '80s. He was headmaster of the New York School for the Deaf at White Plains 1993 to 1996 as well as CEO of the

National Technical Institute for the Deaf The National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) is the first and largest technological college in the world for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. As one of nine colleges within the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Roches ...

1996 from 2006. On December 10, 2006, Davila was named the ninth President of Gallaudet, enacted at the start of 2007. He stepped down as president on December 31, 2009 and was succeeded by Dr. T. Alan Hurwitz.

Speeches and interviews

Davila, Robert R., Acceptance speech upon being selected President of Gallaudet University, 2006. (Download text of speech: http://saveourdeafschools.org/robert_davila_acceptance_speech_2006.pdf
Archived
2008-10-02 at the

Wayback Machine The Wayback Machine is a digital archive of the World Wide Web founded by Internet Archive, an American nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California. Launched for public access in 2001, the service allows users to go "back in ...

. Davila, Robert. R., Interview on KCPW, Salt Lake City, Utah, expressing support for university students' right to protest, February 2007. (Download transcript of interview: http://saveourdeafschools.org/utah.pdf
Archived
2016-03-04 at the

Davila, Robert R., Installation speech as Gallaudet's Ninth President, 2007. (Download text of speech: http://saveourdeafschools.org/robert_davila_installation_speech_2007.pdf
Archived
2008-10-02 at the

Davila, Robert R., Address at Gallaudet's 140th Commencement, May 15, 2009. (Download text of speech: http://saveourdeafschools.org/robert_davila_commencement_address_2009.pdf
Archived
2012-01-11 at the

Davila, Robert R., Keynote Address at National Association of the Deaf convention in Denver, Colorado, 1992. (Download text of speech: http://saveourdeafschools.org/davila_keynote_NAD_denver_1992.pdf
Archived
2012-01-12 at the

Davila, Robert R., Plenary Address at PEPnet 2002: Biennial Conference on Postsecondary Education for Persons who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. (Download text of speech: http://saveourdeafschools.org/robert_davila_2002.pdf
Archived
2012-01-12 at the

Davila, Robert R., Interview on Deaf Mosaic, 1989. (Link: https://ssl.gallaudet.edu/videolibrary/?embed=1695, beginning at 23:28.)

References

External links

Biographical information from NTIDDavila Speaks at Convocation
''Education Exchange'' (a publication of the School of Education, Syracuse University), Fall 2004, p. 13.
Archived
2010-06-13 at the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

National Museum of the American Latino The National Museum of the American Latino is a future Smithsonian Institution museum dedicated to highlighting the contributions of American Latinos in U.S. history and culture.Abbady, Tal. "A Museum of Their Own." ''Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel ...

, Molina Family Latino Gallery inaugural exhibit
¡Presente! A Latino History of the United States
(Case 4, "Shaping the Nation" exhibit), since June 2022. {{DEFAULTSORT:Davila, Robert R. Living people 1932 births Educators of the deaf Rochester Institute of Technology faculty Rochester Institute of Technology administrators Gallaudet University alumni Presidents of Gallaudet University Hunter College alumni Syracuse University alumni United States Department of Education officials George H. W. Bush administration personnel American academics of Mexican descent