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Division on Visual Impairments
Council for Exceptional Children
 
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HISTORY OF THE DIVISION ON VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS

In 1968 at the request of the membership, Mrs. Dorothy Bryan prepared a history of the first twenty years of what is now the Division on Visual Impairments (DVI Newsletter, Vol. 22, No. 2, pp. 8-9). That history relates that the first formal meeting of persons interested in education of partially seeing children took place during the 1948 CEC Convention in Des Moines, Iowa. The small group of teachers that convened for luncheon and discussion that year met informally at each CEC convention for the next several years to focus attention on improving services for partially seeing children. By the 1957 Convention the group, then known as the Council for the Education of the Partially Seeing, had requested and received recognition by CEC Headquarters as an official CEC unity with a membership of 123.

By 1967 the interests of the Council members had expanded to include concerns for the education of blind children, and the name of the organization was officially changed to the Division for Visually Handicapped: Partially Seeing and Blind. Membership had reached 378.

Since that time interests have broadened and encompass curriculum development, parent counseling, development and selection of appropriate materials, research needs, teacher preparation, career education and vocational preparation of infants, children and youths with Visual Impairments.

In 1980 the Division membership reached over 1,000 with members coming from day and residential public and private school programs, state departments of education, teacher education, and related fields. Division activity currently shows concern for federal, state, and local issues and policies related to education of infants, children and youths with Visual Impairments. The Division continues to grow and diversify in its activity and membership and is now known as The Division on Visual Impairments.

Former DVI Presidents

Past records indicate that the following persons have served as DVI Presidents since 1954:

1954 to 1956 Wilma Schneider     Illinois
1956 to 1957 Ruth Hawkins        Pennsylvania
1957 to 1958 Hazeldene Ray Missouri
1958 to 1959 Rosalie Calone     California
1959 to 1962 Frederica Bertram    California
1962 to 1964 Mildred Moon Indiana
1964 to 1965 Joyce Bromley       Tennessee
1965 to 1967 Madge Leslie       Oregon
1967 to 1968 Randall Harley Tennessee
1968 to 1969 Clara Robertson   Kansas
1969 to 1970 Lou Alonso Michigan
1970 to 1971 Ralph Peabody Peabody
1971 to 1972 Charles Woodcock Oregon
1972 to 1973 Phil Hatlen California
1973 to 1974 Carol Halliday          Switzerland
1974 to 1975 Gloria Calovini   Illinois
1975 to 1977 Richard Umsted     Ohio
1977 to 1978 Marjorie Ward     Pennsylvania
1978 to 1979 Margaret Niederer    Illinois
1979 to 1980 Phil Vedovatti Illinois
1980 to 1981 Nancy Bryant Michigan
1981 to 1982 Rosanne Silberman      New York
1983 to 1984 Myrna Olson North Dakota
1984 to 1985 Evelyn Rex    Illinois
1985 to 1986 Anne Corn Texas
1986 to 1987 Vince McVeigh   Pennsylvania
1987 to 1988 Virginia Sowell Texas
1988 to 1989 Jonathan MacIntyre Pennsylvania
1989 to 1990 Rita Livingston Texas
1990 to 1991 Kay Ferrell          New York
1991 to 1993 Alan Koenig Texas
1993 to 1995 Jane Erin Texas / Arizona
1995 to 1997 Roseanna Davidson    Texas
1997 to 1999 Donna McNear    Minnesota
1999 to 2001 Stuart Wittenstein California
2001 to 2003 Mary Jean Sanspree Alabama
2003 to 2005 David Ross Pennsylvania
2005 to 2007 Ellyn Ross Pennsylvania

According to this newsletter, DVI was formally established as a part of CEC in 1953, with the idea for this division starting in 1948.The earliest print copy that we have been able to locate of the publication that later became the DVIQ is this issue from May, 1958. Does anyone have a newsletter that predates this copy?

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