Robert R. Davila

Robert Davila was born in southern California to Mexican-American parents who worked in fields and orchards. At age eleven, he contracted spinal meningitis and became deaf.Lang, Harry G., Cohen, Oscar P. and Joseph E. Fischgrund. 2007. [https://archive.org/details/momentsoftruthro0000lang Moments of Truth: Robert R. Davila, the Story of a Deaf Leader]. Rochester, NY: RIT Press, p. 17"[https://gallaudet.edu/university-communications/president-emeritus-robert-r-davila-to-receive-honorary-degree-from-california-state-university-fresno President Emeritus Robert R. Davila to receive honorary degree from California State University, Fresno]" by Robert Weinstock, May 08, 2024, News & Events, Gallaudet.edu. When his mother learned about a school for the deaf in northern California, she sent him alone on a journey to the California School for the Deaf in Berkeley (which later moved to Fremont).

Davila graduated from Gallaudet University, with a Bachelor's in Education in 1953. He then went to Hunter College, graduating with a Master's in Special Education in 1963. To complete his education, he attended and graduated from Syracuse University with a Ph.D. in Educational Technology in 1972. He also has received honorary degrees from Gallaudet, RIT, Stonehill College, and Hunter College.{{cite web |url=http://www.deafvision.net/clc/davila.html |title=Robert Davila |accessdate=2016-10-11 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929142537/http://www.deafvision.net/clc/davila.html |archivedate=September 29, 2007 }}

Davila served as Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services of the US Department of Education from 1989 to 1993 during the administration of George H. W. Bush."[http://gallyprotest.org/osers.pdf Davila fills Department of Education post] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929000004/http://gallyprotest.org/osers.pdf |date=2011-09-29 }}," Gallaudet Today, Fall 1989, pp. 35-36. Educationally, Dr. Davila has experience teaching high school math, being an assistant principal, serving as a K-12 superintendent. He worked as professor, a college administrator and Vice President of Gallaudet University in the 1970s and '80s. He was headmaster of the New York School for the Deaf at White Plains 1993 to 1996 as well as CEO of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf 1996 from 2006. On December 10, 2006, Davila was named the ninth President of Gallaudet,{{cite web |url=http://news.gallaudet.edu/newsreleases/?ID=9951 |title=Gallaudet University |accessdate=2016-10-11 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070729204740/http://news.gallaudet.edu/newsreleases/?ID=9951 |archivedate=July 29, 2007 }} enacted at the start of 2007. He stepped down as president on December 31, 2009 and was succeeded by Dr. T. Alan Hurwitz.

Davila, Robert R., Acceptance speech upon being selected President of Gallaudet University, 2006. (Download text of speech: http://saveourdeafschools.org/robert_davila_acceptance_speech_2006.pdf) [https://web.archive.org/web/20081002002129/http://saveourdeafschools.org/robert_davila_acceptance_speech_2006.pdf Archived] 2008-10-02 at the Wayback Machine.

Davila, Robert. R., Interview on KCPW, Salt Lake City, Utah, expressing support for university students' right to protest, February 2007. (Download transcript of interview: http://saveourdeafschools.org/utah.pdf) [https://web.archive.org/web/20160304000810/http://saveourdeafschools.org/utah.pdf Archived] 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine

Davila, Robert R., Installation speech as Gallaudet's Ninth President, 2007. (Download text of speech: http://saveourdeafschools.org/robert_davila_installation_speech_2007.pdf) [https://web.archive.org/web/20081002002212/http://saveourdeafschools.org/robert_davila_installation_speech_2007.pdf Archived] 2008-10-02 at the Wayback Machine

Davila, Robert R., Address at Gallaudet's 140th Commencement, May 15, 2009. (Download text of speech: http://saveourdeafschools.org/robert_davila_commencement_address_2009.pdf) [https://web.archive.org/web/20120111184529/http://saveourdeafschools.org/robert_davila_commencement_address_2009.pdf Archived] 2012-01-11 at the Wayback Machine

Davila, Robert R., Keynote Address at National Association of the Deaf convention in Denver, Colorado, 1992. (Download text of speech: http://saveourdeafschools.org/davila_keynote_NAD_denver_1992.pdf) [https://web.archive.org/web/20120112003059/http://saveourdeafschools.org/davila_keynote_NAD_denver_1992.pdf Archived] 2012-01-12 at the Wayback Machine

Davila, Robert R., Plenary Address at PEPnet 2002: Biennial Conference on Postsecondary Education for Persons who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. (Download text of speech: http://saveourdeafschools.org/robert_davila_2002.pdf) [http://web.archive.org/web/20120112005646/http://saveourdeafschools.org/robert_davila_2002.pdf Archived] 2012-01-12 at the Wayback Machine

Davila, Robert R., Interview on Deaf Mosaic, 1989. (Link: https://ssl.gallaudet.edu/videolibrary/?embed=1695, beginning at 23:28.)

• Deaf Culture
• Deaf President Now (1988)

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• [https://www.rit.edu/ntid/50/years-of Biographical information from NTID]
• [http://soe.syr.edu/media/documents/2009/10/fall_04.pdf Davila Speaks at Convocation], Education Exchange (a publication of the School of Education, Syracuse University), Fall 2004, p. 13. [https://web.archive.org/web/20100613023354/https://soe.syr.edu/media/documents/2009/10/fall_04.pdf Archived] 2010-06-13 at the Wayback Machine
• Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of the American Latino, Molina Family Latino Gallery inaugural exhibit: [https://latino.si.edu/exhibitions/presente ¡Presente! A Latino History of the United States] (Case 4, "Shaping the Nation" exhibit), since June 2022.

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{{s-bef | before = Madeleine Will}}

{{s-ttl | title = Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services | years = 1989–1993}}

{{s-aft | after = Judith Heumann}}

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{{s-bef | before = William E. Castle}}

{{s-ttl | title = Vice President of RIT for the National Technical Institute for the Deaf | years = 1996–2003}}

{{s-aft | after = T. Alan Hurwitz}}

{{s-bef | before = I. King Jordan}}

{{s-ttl | title = President of Gallaudet University | years = January 1, 2007 – December 31, 2009}}

{{s-aft | after = T. Alan Hurwitz}}

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Category:Living people

Category:1932 births

Category:Educators of the deaf

Category:Rochester Institute of Technology faculty

Category:Rochester Institute of Technology administrators

Category:Gallaudet University alumni

Category:Presidents of Gallaudet University

Category:Hunter College alumni

Category:Syracuse University alumni

Category:United States Department of Education officials

Category:George H. W. Bush administration personnel

Category:American academics of Mexican descent