MSS 043 - The Benjamin Schowe, Sr. Papers

Benjamin M. Schowe, Sr. was born in 1893 in Indiana. Becoming deaf by 13, Schowe attended and graduated from Gallaudet College in 1918, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree. He spent his career working at Firestone Tire and Rubber Company in Akron, Ohio. He worked as a Personnel Manager and then a Labor Economics Research Specialist. In addition, Schowe was the first Vice President of the Gallaudet College Alumni Association and later President of the same association. For his efforts, Schowe was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Gallaudet in 1951. After 40 years of service, Schowe retired from Firestone Tire and Rubber Company in 1958. He passed away in 1979.

The Benjamin M. Schowe, Sr. papers cover the period between 1912 to 1977. The bulk of the collection falls during Schowe's time at Firestone and his service on the Gallaudet College Alumni Association. In his work at Firestone and his participation in the National Association of the Deaf's Industrial Committee, he had an intimate look into the lives and employment of deaf people across the United States, especially in Ohio, where he lived. Schowe fought tirelessly for employment rights for deaf people. He often wrote to those in power asking them to reconsider how a law or policy was written, emphasizing that deaf persons were fully capable of doing jobs that hearing employers might be hesitant to give to them.

Included below is a sample of Schowe's collection, MSS 043, highlighting his work in the field of deaf employment. A full listing of his collection can be found on our ArchivesSpace instance here.

For additional contextual information, Akron, Ohio during World War II was home to several manufacturing companies. Firestone and Goodyear in particular hired many deaf employees to replace those who had left to go to war. Many deaf people migrated to Akron and got jobs in those tire factories. Deaf clubs, sports, and religious groups were formed in response to the surge in deaf people. Unfortunately, once World War II ended, many of those deaf people lost their jobs to returning soldiers.