Starting Work: Gallaudet Connections

Starting Work: Gallaudet Connections

In this video Dennis Legler, Janie Golightly, Dave Herbold, and Harvey Goodstein describe the connections between The Washington Post and Gallaudet University.

Zilvinas Paludnevicius

Drs. John S. and Betty J. Schuchman Deaf Documentary Center Collection

2022

This Item has been made available for educational and research purposes by the Drs. John S. and Betty J. Schuchman Deaf Documentary Center at Gallaudet University. This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You may need to obtain permission for your intended use if your use is otherwise not permitted by the copyright and applicable related rights legislation. For specific information about the copyright and reproduction rights for this Item, please contact the Schuchman Deaf Documentary Center: https://www.gallaudet.edu/drs-john-s-and-betty-j-schuchman-deaf-documentary-center

American Sign Language

A video featuring ASL interviews with several subjects. Dennis Legler, a white older man seated at home; Janie Golightly, a white older woman seated in a darkened studio; Dave Herbold, a white older man seated at home; and Harvey Goodstein, a white older man seated in a darkened studio. The video begins with a still black and white image of the Composing Room at the Washington Post with the text Gallaudet Connections.

Dennis Legler: After I graduated, I ended up at Gallaudet. And I went to visit the Post. Many worked there as, what’s it called, inserters. So I’d gone to work there and people told me, you know, there are a lot of Deaf people working upstairs on the fourth floor. So when I had the chance, I went up there and I was surprised - I saw so many people from Gallaudet working there! Some of them were classmates! You know? So that’s how it started - that motivated me and it went from there.
Janie Golightly: You could work five days a week, but you didn’t have to. You could show up to work only two days a week. Some Gallaudet students would come and work. They would have classes in the morning, and at nights they would come in and work. They could manage their work schedule to fit their school schedule. And it would all work out. Teachers would work there too. They would teach classes all day, but if there wasn’t enough pay, they would come and print. It was really nice. I saw several Deaf teachers, a good number of them working there at night. Some worked for a few years and dropped it when they felt comfortable.

Dave Herbold: Before I graduated I worked at the Washington Post paper. That was during my sophomore year. So I went back and forth, school and work. But you know, I already had a job.
I didn’t have to send in a resume or anything. I went back and forth. I thought I would do it for a minute but I continued for 32 years.

Harvey Goodstein:
While I worked at the Washington Post, among my friends, I can think of two or three people from Gallaudet. Two or three of them were even faculty. They worked at both The Washington Post and The Evening Star. I don’t remember which. You know some faculty, like back then,
Alan B. Crammatte, ABC, he worked there. From the math department, professor Leon Auerbach. Ray Kolander, he taught math too. I can think of those three. There were others, but I can recall the three of them. Really, back then Gallaudet faculty and staff, they all worked for 40 or 50 years. Because there was almost no pension plan. Back then, they didn’t have that. So they all kept working, and sought supplemental income with other jobs.

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