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MSS 130 World Winter Games for the Deaf, 1975 Collection of the 1975 World Winter Games for the Deaf, 1949-1983
Gallaudet University Archives
Descriptive Summary
Repository: Gallaudet University Archives Call No.: MSS 130 Creator: Title: Collection of the 1975 World Winter Games for the Deaf, 1949-1983 Quantity: 7 linear feet (11 document boxes and 1 oversize box) Abstract: This collection consists of articles, booklets, bulletins, correspondence, entry forms, fliers, lists, magazines, manuscripts, minutes, newsletters, photographs, programs, public speaking notes, reports, Village of Lake Placid general information, and course designs. Note:
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information: The Collection of the World Winter Games for the Deaf, 1975, was donated to the Gallaudet University Archives by Simon J. Carmel on July 7, 1987. Processed By: Jeffrey Peterson, 2009 February 11. Processing Note: The collection was partly processed in 2008 and was completed on February 11, 2009. Conditions on Use and Access: This collection is open to the public with no restrictions. Photocopies may be made for scholarly research.
Related Material in the Archives
Vertical Files
Historical Sketch
In the winter of 1975 the 8th World Winter Games for the Deaf, commonly referred to as the “Deaflympics,” took place in Lake Placid, NY, from February 2 to 8, 1975 and was the first Winter Games for the Deaf held outside of continental Europe. The Games were hosted by the American Athletic Association of the Deaf (AAAD) under the parent organization of the Comite International des Sports des Silencieux (CISS, now known as the Comite International des Sports des Sourds, or translated into English the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf), the oldest organization sponsoring sporting competitions for the deaf. A subsidiary organization under the AAAD, the United States Organizing Committee (USOC), was established to oversee the planning and operations of the Winter Games so that the AAAD could continue to focus on sports competitions within the United States. At the completion of the 8th Winter Games in Lake Placid the USOC was disbanded.
The 8th Winter Games for the Deaf in 1975 was also the first Winter Games to feature other sports besides skiing and was the first to be held at a site before an Olympics—the Olympics that took place in Lake Placid in 1980.
Fifteen nations and 268 athletes participated in the 8th World Winter Games for the Deaf in 1975.
In 1997 the AAAD changed its name to the USA Deaf Sports Federation (USADSF). The AAAD was the first national group among deaf persons to eliminate and prohibit discrimination based on a person’s race or creed.
Scope and Content
The collection consists of 11 document boxes and 1 oversize box—approximately 7 linear feet and 8,500 pages— with one box dedicated to photographs and one box containing posters and an oversized Russian magazine. The collection consists of material dating from 1949 to 1983. The earliest document contains the technical results from previous Winter Games from 1949 to 1963; the most recent documents are correspondence and pertain to the closing of accounts and reproductions of medals. The bulk of material is from 1971 to 1975. Documents contained within the Collection include articles, booklets with competition results and the official program for the 1975 World Winter Games, CISS statutes and regulations, correspondence, entry forms, fliers, information about Lake Placid accommodations and course maps, news releases and newsletters, publicity materials, reports from CISS Congress meetings and the US Organizing Committee. Also in the collection are photographs from the opening and closing ceremonies, sports competitions, social events at the time of the Winter Games, Committee meetings, and of award winners.
The majority of content and strongest portion of the collection is correspondence, which are organized by date. One folder contains correspondence either without a date or without a specific date (i.e. “Monday”) and are located in the folder “Correspondence – No Date.” These documents are listed alphabetically based on who the letter was sent to.
Another significant portion of the Collection includes final and preliminary entry forms for nations participating in the Winter Games and each of the athletes. Each form contains a small photograph of the athlete competing and which events he or she was scheduled to compete in. Newsletters also take up a large portion of the collection.
The weakest portion of the collection is Committee minutes and memorandums. Only a few folders contain any material regarding meetings leading up to the 1975 World Winter games and the procedures the CISS, AAAD, and USOC took to insure a successful international athletic event. Individual Committee reports took the place of meetings. Similarly, because the members of the various Committees varied in location, correspondence was more commonly used than memorandums.
[Please see archives staff for assistance with viewing photographs and objects.]
Series Description and Folder Lists
Series 1: Articles/Awards/Booklets
Boxes 1-2 This series contains articles specifically about the 8th World Winter Games, athletes, deaf-related subjects and sign language as they pertain to sports, general articles about winter games, and sports results from the Winter Games. Also in this series are samples of the various awards given out during the competition, along with samples of awards from previous games used for ideas. Lastly, there are booklets containing the results from the Games and CISS regulations.
Series 2: Correspondence
Boxes 2-5 The correspondence series has been organized by date—one folder contains correspondence where the date is unknown or the specific date is unclear. The majority of correspondence is from the latter months of 1974 and January of 1975. Correspondence generally took the place of memorandums since members of the various committees were not in close proximity to one another. Correspondence following 1975 largely deals with the closing of accounts and reproduction of medals.
Series 3: Fliers/Forms/Invoices
Boxes 5-6 Within this series are various fliers varying from the AAAD National Basketball Tournament, where money was raised to help fund the 8th Winter Games, to different conferences for the Deaf. The series also contains entry forms for athletes and spectators. Invoices for equipment, apparel, souvenirs, bills for telephone and travel, and the US Organizing Committee’s stay at the Lake Placid Clubhouse complete series 3.
Series 4: Lists
Box 6 Series 4 contains lists that vary from listings of addresses of publications for the deaf, lists numerous contacts, lists of companies and individuals who contributed and donated to the 8th World Winter Games, and lists of participating nations.
Series 5: Manuscripts/Minutes
Boxes 6-7 This unit consists of manuscripts that would later be published in either fliers regarding the Games and/or the official Games program, and minutes from the US Organizing Committee and the United States Ski Association Alpine Course Approval Committee.
Series 6: Published Materials
Boxes 6, 7 This series contains numerous magazines and newsletters covering the 8th World Winter Games for the Deaf. Some of the newsletters are from different countries.
Series 7: Notes/Programs
Boxes 8-9 In this group are a few folders containing the notes from members of the various committees written during meetings. The majority of this series consists of programs. Some of the programs are from previous Summer and Winter Games for the Deaf, annual AAAD basketball tournaments, and other important sporting events in Lake Placid and for the Deaf.
Series 8: Questionnaires/Reports
Box 9 Series 8 contains questionnaires that were sent to member nations of CISS regarding their participation in the 8th World Winter Games for the Deaf, which events should be in the Games, arrival and departure dates, and post-games opinions and stories, to name a few. Also in this series are reports from the various committees, previous reports from past Games, and other organizations involved in the 8th Winter Games.
Series 9: TTY Conversations/Posters
Boxes 10, OV 01 Within this last unit are printed TTY conversations. One folder consists of TTY conversations that do not have a date on them and is labeled so—the papers in this folder have been placed in order alphabetically according to the last name of who the call was going to. One oversized box has posters for the 8th World Winter Games and a large magazine in Russian titled “Америка” (America).
[Please see archives staff for assistance with viewing photographs and objects.]
Series Descriptions and Folder Lists
Photograph List
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