Research

Administrative History

The Superintendent of Common Schools was first authorized to appoint students to the New York Institution for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb (New York City) in 1832 and to the New York Institution for the Blind (New York City) in 1834. These appointment powers were transferred to the Superintendent of Public Instruction upon creation of that office in 1854. The Superintendent was authorized by subsequent laws to appoint students to the following institutions: New York Institution for the Improved Instruction of Deaf Mutes (New York City) in 1870; Le Couteulx St. Mary's Institution for the Improved Instruction of Deaf Mutes (Buffalo) in 1872; Central New York Institution for Deaf Mutes (Rome) in 1876; St. Joseph's Institute for the Improved Instruction of Deaf Mutes (Fordham) in 1877; Northern New York Institution for Deaf Mutes (Malone) in 1884; and Albany Home School for Oral Instruction of the Deaf in 1897. These appointment powers were transferred to the Commissioner of Education by the Unification Act of 1904.