BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Tom Lewis Anderson, known as "TLA", was born on June 2, 1888 in Denison, Texas. He became deaf at the age of 12 from scarlet fever. In the fall of 1906, Tom entered the Colorado School for the Deaf. He passed the college entrance examination and the next year, he attended Gallaudet College. Tom graduated from Gallaudet in 1912. He worked various jobs: one was in Duluth, Minnesota where he was an editor of a magazine and agent of Acoustic Company. He was also a farmer and a partner in a logging business. He married his college sweetheart, Anna Vaughn Johnson of Minden, Nebraska in 1912. They moved to Texas, and a daughter, Elizabeth, and a son, John, were born.
 
Tom got a job as a manual training teacher in a high school in Minden, Nebraska. In his spare time, he pursued outside studies and wrote a thesis on "Mental Training Through the Head" for which Gallaudet awarded him the Master's degree in 1918.
 
A tragedy struck the Anderson family--Tom's wife, Anna, died as a result of the Spanish influenza epidemic in 1919. Tom placed his two children in the care of his sister in Dallas, Texas and started a new life. He met Effie Weseen, a native Nebraskan, at a banquet of the Mid-West Chapter of the Gallaudet College Alumni Association. Effie was a 1918 graduate of Gallaudet. In October, 1920, they got married and lived in Minden.
 
Mr. and Mrs. Tom L. Anderson both got jobs as teachers at the Iowa School for the Deaf in Council Bluffs in 1921. The next year, Tom was appointed as a vocational principal of the school's vocational department. He was an editor of the school publication, The Iowa Hawkeye. He founded and published The Vocational Teacher. They worked there for many years, until they moved to Texas where he worked as a vocational counselor in Austin for 6 years. He was credited with having placed 400 deaf war workers with the North American Aviation Company. His experience with human relations caught the eyes of California vocational authorities who lured him to San Francisco in 1948. His wife, Effie, taught at the California School for the Deaf in Berkeley. Tom retired in 1952. His hobby was woodworking, which kept him very busy.
 
Tom was President of the National Association of the Deaf from 1940 to 1946. He was also President of the Gallaudet College Alumni Association from 1936 to 1943. In 1939, at its 75th anniversary convocation, Gallaudet College awarded him a honorary degree of Doctor of Pedagogy in recognition of his valuable service to his fellow men.
 
Tom died at his home in Oakland, California on September 16, 1966 and was buried in Sunset View Cemetery in El Cerrito on September 20.

SCOPE AND CONTENT  

The Tom L. Anderson Papers consists of correspondence, clippings, printed materials, reports, speeches, articles, manuscripts, scrapbooks, and yearbooks. Dr. Anderson was President of the National Association of the Deaf and was also President of the Gallaudet College Alumni Association. He was well-known in the field of vocational training for the deaf.

The collection, which consists of approximately 3,400 pages, dates from 1907-1969. The bulk of the collection consists of articles, correspondence, and publications. The bulk of dates are mostly between 1936 and 1948, which was during his presidency of both organizations. The strength of the collection is centered mostly on concerns for the welfare of deaf people.
 
The largest subject in the collection is focused on the National Association of the Deaf issues. Dr. Anderson worked tirelessly for employment opportunities for deaf people such as vocational training for the deaf people. The significant subject in the collection is about the employment of deaf people during World War Two. Another significant aspect of the collection is about the clash of correspondence between Dr. Anderson and Paul A. Strachan of the American Federation of the Physically Handicapped. The biggest accomplishment of Dr. Anderson's career was that he was chosen to be on the National Rehabilitation Advisory Council.
 
The collection includes Gallaudet College Alumni Association correspondence, of which he was President, general articles written by Dr. Anderson; and personal correspondence from his friends and colleagues. 
 
Dr. Anderson wrote a manuscript called, "Vocational Training for the Deaf" which was published about 1942. Also included in the collection are publications, mainly on deaf people and organizations. He wrote an interesting and informative article "What of the Sign Language?", and an interesting paper called "Rules and Regulations for "Ducks" (for Preparatory students at Gallaudet) written in 1907.

SERIES DESCRIPTION 

Series 1:   National Association of the Deaf

Boxes 1-2 1937-1952
Tom L. Anderson was President of the National Association of the Deaf from 1940 to 1946. In this series are correspondence, publications, reports, clippings, and speeches. Most of the collection is mainly on the welfare of deaf people.

Series 2:   Gallaudet College Alumni Association

Box 3 1935-1956
Tom L. Anderson was President of the Gallaudet College Alumni Association from 1936 to 1943. The bulk of the collection is mostly correspondence. There are some publications and program books. Some parts of the collection are discussions on issues related to the Gallaudet College Alumni Association.

Series 3:  General

Boxes 3-4 1907-1969
This series has articles written by Tom L. Anderson, as well as personal correspondence, clippings, and printed matters. Manuscripts and speeches are included in this collection. Some items are from his early days as a student at Gallaudet.

FOLDER LIST 

Box	Folder	Title of Folder	Date
1	1	Clippings	1940-1945
1	2	Correspondence--Appointment to the National Rehabilitation Advisory Council	1947
1	3	Correspondence--Associations of the Deaf	1941-1942
1	4	Correspondence--Barnes, Harvey	1941-1942
1	5	Correspondence--Bjorlee, Dr.Ignatius	1941
1	6	Correspondence--Bjorlee, Dr. Ignatius re: Strachan, Paul A.	1941
1	7	Correspondence--Boatner, Edmund B.	1941
1	8	Correspondence--Brogan, William E.	1946
1	9	Correspondence--Burnes, Byron B.	1941-1942
1	10	Correspondence--Burnes, Byron B.	1946-1949
1	11	Correspondence--Burnes, Byron B. re:Strachan, Paul A.	1941
1	12	Correspondence--Communication to the Board	1941
1	13	Correspondence--Communication to the Board	1946-1948
1	14	Correspondence--Curtis, Sen. Carl re:Bill S666 and others	1941
1	15	Correspondence--Curtis, Hon. Carl re:Strachan, Paul A.	1941-1943
1	16	Correspondence--Deaf Drivers	1941
1	17	Correspondence--Deaf Peddlers	1941-1942
1	18	Correspondence--Deaf Workers in War Defense jobs	1941-1943
1	19	Correspondence--Employment Problems	1941-1942
1	20	Correspondence--First Official Communication	1940
1	21	Correspondence--First Official Communication re: Resignations of Mrs. Balis & Mrs. Cool	1940
1	22	Correspondence--Fusfeld, Irving S.	1941
1	23	Correspondence--General	1937-1947
1	24	Correspondence--General	1940-1941
1	25	Correspondence--General	1941-1944
1	26	Correspondence--General	1943-1944
1	27	Correspondence--General	1946-1947
1	28	Correspondence--Greenmum, Robert M.	1946-1948
1	29	Correspondence--Guild of American Deaf Writers	1941-1942
1	30	Correspondence--Hall, Dr. Percival  re:Strachan, Paul A.	1941-1943
1	31	Correspondence--Hall, Dr. Percival, Marcus L. Kenner, & Byron B. Burnes  re: Meeting with Paul A. Strachan	1941
1	32	Correspondence--Kannapell, Geo. Gordon re: NAD Convention	1946
1	33	Correspondence--Kenner, Marcus L.	1941-1942
1	34	Correspondence--Kenner, Marcus L.	1946-1947
2	1	Correspondence--Kenner, Marcus L. re: Paul A. Strachan	1941-1942
2	2	Correspondence--Lauritsen, Wesley	1941-1944
2	3	Correspondence--Martino, Rae	1940-1941
2	4	Correspondence--Miscellaneous  re: Paul A. Strachan	1941-1944
2	5	Correspondence--National Rehabilitation Advisory Council	1943-1952
2	6	Correspondence--Nies, Dr. Edwin W.	1941
2	7	Correspondence--Northern, Thomas Y.	1941-1942
2	8	Correspondence--Office of Vocational Rehabilitation--Michael J. Shortley	1946
2	9	Correspondence--Orman, James N.	1941-1942
2	10	Correspondence--Orrill, Louis B.	1946-1947
2	11	Correspondence--Rice, Delight	1941-1942
2	12	Correspondence--Roberts, Arthur L.	1941-1942
2	13	Correspondence--Schowe, Benjamin M.	1941-1942
2	14	Correspondence-Schowe, Benjamin M. re: American Federation of Physically Handicapped	1944
2	15	Correspondence--Silent Worker	1946-1949
2	16	Correspondence--Stewart, Roy J.	1941
2	17	Correspondence--Strachan, Paul A.	1941-1942
2	18	Deaf Peddlers	1941-1942
2	19	Names & Addresses of NAD Members at Louisville, KY	1946
2	20	National Association of the Deaf Convention	1946
2	21	Pamphlet--The American Deaf	1944
2	22	Pamphlets--"The NAD at Work"	n.d.
2	23	Position Letter	n.d.
2	24	Public Statement--"What the Deaf of America Ask of Government"	n.d.
2	25	Publication--The Nadic	1940-1941
2	26	Publication--The Underground re: AFPH	1944
2	27	Reports	1940-1942
2	28	Resolutions	1940
2	29	Speech--Address of Welcome at the NAD Convention, Louisville, KY	1946
2	30	Telegram to President Franklin D Roosevelt re: Deaf for War Role	1941-1942
2	31	Victory Fund--Clubmobiles (Sent to France)	1941-1943
3	1	Correspondence--Board Members	1936-1941
3	2	Correspondence--Drake, Harley D.	1938-1940
3	3	Correspondence--Draper, Ernest G.	1939
3	4	Correspondence--Elstad, Dr. Leonard M.	1946-1956
3	5	Correspondence--Hall, Dr. Percival	1936-1942
3	6	Correspondence--Hughes, Frederick H.	1937-1942
3	7	Correspondence--MacCono, Andrew	1936
3	8	Correspondence--Miscellaneous	1935-1947
3	9	Correspondence--Peikoff, David	1942
3	10	Correspondence--Pulver, Henry J.	1936-1944
3	11	Correspondence--Schowe, Benjamin M.	1937-1946
3	12	Gallaudet College Alumni Association--Clippings, Program books & Speeches	1937-1944
3	13	Program book--75th Anniversary Celebration of Gallaudet College	1939
3	14	Program book--75th Anniversary Program in honor of Edward Miner Gallaudet	1939
3	15	Publications--Presentation Day	1939
3	16	Articles	1937-1969
3	17	Articles written by Tom L. Anderson	1910-1927
3	18	Articles written by Tom L. Anderson	1926-1941
3	19	Calling cards (3)	[1909-1910]
3	20	Clippings	1917-1942
3	21	Clippings on "The Vocational Teacher"	[1930-1933]
3	22	Correspondence--California Association of the Deaf	1963-1964
3	23	Correspondence--Curtis, Sen. Carl T.	1955
3	24	Correspondence--Day, Herbert E.	1920
3	25	Correspondence--General	1933-1935
3	26	Correspondence--General	1941-1946
3	27	Correspondence--Hall, Dr. Percival	1935-1936
3	28	Correspondence--Handley Case	1941
3	29	Correspondence--Honorary Degree from Gallaudet College	1939
3	30	Correspondence--McClure, Dr. George M.	1936-1964
3	31	Correspondence--Peet, Elizabeth	1939-1954
3	32	Correspondence--Peikoff, David	1956-1962
3	33	"G" Book	1949-1950
3	34	Gallaudet College Athletic Association	1911
4	1	Hazel's Handy Pocket Parliamentary Chart	1926
4	2	Kappa Gamma Fraternity	1908-1910
4	3	Kappa Gamma Fraternity Roster	1957
4	4	Kappa Gamma Fraternity Yearbooks	1926-1927
4	5	Manuscripts--Vocational Training for the Deaf	[1942]
4	6	Minutes of the Tenth Meeting of the Gallaudet College Alumni Association	1917
4	7	Memorandums--Criticisms of Gallaudet College	1963
4	8	Obituary	1966
4	9	Pamphlet--"The Physically Handicapped Under War Conditions"	n.d.
4	10	Program book--Presentation Day	1912
4	11	Publication--The Buff and Blue	1933
4	12	Publication--Gallaudet Alumni Bulletin	1948-1950
4	13	Publication--Just Once A Month-Gallaudet Issue	1938
4	14	Publication--Postwar and The Adult Deaf	1944
4	15	Publication--The Vocational Teacher	1930-1933
4	16	Rules and Regulations for "Ducks" (Preparatory boys)	1907
4	17	Scrapbooks--clippings	1910-1911
4	18	Scrapbooks--clippings from The Buff and Blue	1939-1940
4	19	Speech--"Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet 1787-1937"	[1937]
4	20	Speeches	1936-1960
4	21	What of the Sign Language?--Articles, clippings & notes	1922-1939
4	22	What of the Sign Language?--Articles, clippings & notes commenting on TLA's article	1938
4	23	Yearbook--The Cornerstone of the Class of Nineteen Twelve	1912