Victor Galloway

Victor Galloway 1928 - 2013 Victor Henry Galloway was born in Atlanta on July 29, 1928 to Frances and Henry Galloway. He lost his hearing at a very early age from repeated fevers, which destroyed his auditory nerves. Vic attended the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind (SCSDB) in Cedar Spring for ten years, between 1935-1948. He is believed to be the first deaf Eagle Scout in that state and the first deaf student to graduate from Spartanburg High School. He graduated with honors and several athletic letters. All his accomplishments were made without the aid of interpreters or transportation. Vic graduated from Gallaudet College, Washington DC, in 1951 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in chemistry. He was President of the Kappa Gamma fraternity and President of the Student Body Government. He made "news" as the first person at Gallaudet to volunteer to room with a black student. After graduation, Vic worked as a high explosives chemist at the Naval Ordinance Laboratory in White Oak, Maryland. Wishing to return to his roots, he moved to Atlanta, Georgia where he was an analytical chemist for Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. He remained there for 6 years before moving with the same company to become a Senior Material and Process Engineer in Sunnyvale, California. During this time he was the President of the California Association of the Deaf and president of the American Athletic Association of the Deaf (AAAD). Later the AAAD (1992) and the Southeast Athletic Association of the Deaf (1996) inducted Vic into their Halls of Fame as a leader. In 1965 Dr. Galloway obtained a Masters of Science Degree in Education, Administration and Supervision from the California State University Northridge (CSUN) Leadership Training Program (LTP). After graduation, he assisted in developing programs in adult education in Los Angeles County. He continued his studies at the University of Arizona, in 1966, graduating with a Doctorate in Education and Rehabilitation Administration in 1971. While in Tucson, he served as a research assistant in the Rehabilitation Center and helped to establish an agency which provided services to the Deaf citizens for many years. During this time he was called to the White House to witness the signing of HR 6430, The Mental Rehabilitation Bill. In 1968 he accepted the position as Educational Specialist for Science and Engineering at the newly established National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) on the campus of the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Later he became the first Director of the Certificate, Diploma, Associate (CDA) program at NTID. Vic was appointed to President Lyndon Baines Johnson's National Advisory Committee on Education of the Deaf. He served in that capacity for several years. In 1970, Vic returned to the Gallaudet Campus to become the first Director of Support Services and later the Director of Education at the newly formed Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD). Dr. Galloway was a strong advocate for professional training. In 1976, the National Academy of School Executives recognized him as a recipient of the Academy Professional Development Award. During this time he was appointed to the United States Office of Education's review board for teacher training and in 1977, served in the planning committee for the White House Conference on Handicapped Individuals. In 1979, the Board of Directors of the Scranton State School for the Deaf (SSSD) unanimously elected Dr. Galloway to the superintendent's position. Dr. Galloway was the first deaf superintendent in Pennsylvania history and among the first deaf persons in the United States to achieve this accomplishment. The Texas State Board of Education confirmed his appointment as Executive Director of the Texas School for the Deaf (TSD) in 1981. During his tenure TSD accomplished many outstanding achievements due to the hard work of its teachers, staff, and students. In 1982, the Community Education program at TSD was established to work with parents of deaf children and to establish adult education classes for the adult deaf. During this period, pilot bilingual sign classes were established for Hispanic parents in nine cities across the state. Galloway resigned from the school in 1986 to run the National Center on Deafness (NCOD) which included the National Leadership Training Program (LTP) and the undergraduate deaf and hard of hearing student support service at the California State University Northridge. During his time there was a exceptionally high retention rate of deaf students. Other achievements in education included board member of the Conference of Executive Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf and state advisory committees in Arizona and Pennsylvania. From 1993 to 1999, Vic served as the Branch Chief of the Deafness and Communications Disorders Branch of the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) for the U.S. Department of Education. During this time as Branch Chief, he was one of eight founding members (senior statesman) of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Government. But perhaps the role in life that has given him the most attention was that of Meryl Streep's father in the movie "The River Wild." The movie cast and crew were taken by his personality, his natural acting ability and the "Cinderella story" beginning AT THE TOP with several of the most accomplished actors of our time. Following his retirement from RSA in 1998, he returned to his alma mater, Gallaudet University, to become Adjunct Professor in the School of Educational Administration and Supervision. There his masters and doctoral students awarded him teacher of the year in recognition of his being a "great teacher who inspired." Vic had three children, Dawn (deceased), Vance (deceased) and Shayne of Oak Hill, Texas by his previous wife, Gertie. He also has four grandchildren, Morgan and Tyler Reeves of Oak Hills, Texas, Brit Galloway of Frederick, Md., and Dane Galloway of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Vic and his wife of 41 years, Marilyn, live in The Hills of Lakeway, Texas. "A Celebration of a Life Well Lived" will be held on Saturday, February 16 at Weed-Corley-Fish in Lakeway at 2 pm. A donation in his honor may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, Gallaudet University and the Texas School for the Deaf Foundation. Obituary and memorial guestbook available online at www.wcfish.com