History of IAD's Newsletters

In 1908, the Rev. P. J. Hasentab, then president of the IAD, put his efforts to establish a newsletter for the deaf Illinoisans. He christened the newsletter STATE-WIDE BULLETIN (SWB). Earliest SWB edition was printed mostly related to church subjects and membership tidbits. Rev. Hasentab worked with the Episcopal church to print the SWB at no charge from 1908 to 1918.

A. J. Rodenberger, IAD president, also edited the SWB at the Illinois School for the Deaf (ISD) from 1918 to 1927. He taught printing at the ISD where his boys helped print the SWB at almost no cost.

Eventually the SWB for an unexplained reason remained dormant until Leonard B. Warshawsky, IAD president, revived the SWB in 1954 and remained as an editor for ten years. He stated the necessity for the SWB to be evolved to a more expandable up-to-date variety of news.

During the presidency of John B. Davis ( 1964-1973) IAD was caught without an editor. Robert R. Anderson was asked to help during the crisis and meanwhile he edited the SWB publication at the ISD print shop as well as doing the same thing with the ILLINOIS ADVANCE, an ISD publication, simultaneously for only one year.

In the beginning, it was a two page publication. Later, it varied from four to twelve pages, really a small newsletter. Early publication measured 4 1/2" x 5 1/2" which was evolved to 81/2" x 11" tabloid. Mr. Warshawsky revived it with the aid of a commercial printer, and, with the change of editors throughout its ensued years, it has been printed by the State of Illinois, ISD, and various instaprint shops. Due to the rising costs of maintaining the SWB, the result was the purchase of four Gestetner printing machines - namely a model 319 press electroplate maker, plate fixer, and a collator. At a later date an electric stapler was purchased.

Former SWB editor John M. Tubergen, during James Carter's IAD presidency from 1978-1979, was on the United Deaf Services (UDS) Advisory Board for one year in 1979. He started bi-monthly edition, a change from quarterly publication in 1978. Mr. Tubergen formally introduced the IAD to the UDS in 1979. Before the IAD joined the UDS in North Little Rock, Arkansas, the SWB press was stored and used at the National Fraternal Society of the Deaf (NFSD) Home Office. The Gesterner machines were sold out. The UDS set an IAD Total Communication Concept (TCC) allocation. During that period, the IAD received a yearly allocation through the advertisements from the IAD convention program books and Directory of Services booklets. In other words, the purpose of yearly allocations was to provide funds for printing services to print SWB publications, IAD stationery, and calendars. Former editors from 1980 thru 1986 gained the advantage of elaborating the SWB since it didn't cost the IAD. In 1986 the UDS could not set the TCC allocation for the IAD due to poor advertising sales for IAD convention program, and Directory of Services booklets. During the 1986 year the IAD decided not to renew the contract with the UDS to provide booklets for convention programs, and Directory of Services, respectively. However, the UDS still took care of printing SWB publications as well as labeling all addresses for us at the IAD's expenses. The IAD decided to have quarterly publications instead of bi-monthly publications in 1986 to save printing costs.

Former SWB editor Carole Kazmierski added the word " ILLINOIS' to precede SWB heading as a solution to identity crisis.

Historically, the Illinois State-Wide Bulletin has always been proud of the IAD . It has been this pride that has sustained the newsletter for over fifty years. The Illinois SWB has been inseparable from the history of the IAD, a history of challenges met and changes made, of the departure of old faces and the entrance of the new ones, of devotion and sacrifice, of triumphs and failures.

The Illinois SWB carried no paid subscriptions but is given to all members without charge.

The Illinois SWB has been a chronicle of all this, but more importantly , it has been a chronicle of the refusal of the deaf Illinoisans to remain silent.

The SWB Editors since 1908 (The vacuum period from 1927 to 1954): 1908-1918: Rev. P. J. Hasentab * 1918-1927: A. J. Rodenberger * 1954-1964: Leonard B. Warshawsky * 1965-1967: Francis Huffman 1967-1968: Francis Huffman 1968-1972: Chester S. Geier 1972-1973: Robert R. Anderson 1973-1974: Lawrence Forestal * 1974-1976: Jerry Strom
1976: John B. Davis *
1977: Lawrence Forestal *
1977-1981: John M. Tubergen
1981-1983: Carole Kazmierski
1983-1985: John B. Davis *
1985-1986: William E. "Teddy" Clemons *
1986-1987: Leon R. Devriendt
1987-1989: Sandra Goldstein and Ken Toerpe (Co-Editors)
1989: Carole Kazmierski
1989-1991: Robert Bevill
1991-1995: Marion Dramin
????? Janice Mancill
????? David Couch
2000-2002: Teri-Lyn Calhoun
2002-2005: Michael K. Berger

* denotes the editor also held IAD president simultaneously