We alumni remember our teachers for different things, good and bad. The group picture comprises 25 high school teachers who had arrived at CSDR in various years. Some started in the first year of the school’s opening in 1953, some in the 1960s and others in the early 1970s. Principal Warren Fauth (since 1953) is absent.
As seen in the picture, women were expected to wear dresses, and men were required to wear ties. The dress code has changed.
Front Row: Sandra Reese, Nadine Fahlbusch, Dorothy Smallwood, Eileen Quiero, Sandrasue Bolen
Second Row: Madeline Musmanno, Lucy Lewis, Ileena Steigerwald, Debra Weisbart, Bobbie Bell, LeVere Quinn
Third Row: Gleena DeYoung (TA), Luda Sowell, Kristin Winship
Fourth Row: William “Rusty” Wales, John Paullin, Stanley Menson, Tom Fishler, Gerald Sullivan
Fifth Row: Ricardo Gonzales, David McGarry, Carl Barber, Todd Rutherford, Frank Husak
Front Row
Sandra Reese was a teacher's aide. She was always busy with office work or babysitting a class when the teacher was absent for the day. She spent probably 30 years at CSDR.
Nadine Fahlbusch was well known for her calm demeanor and ready smile. She had perfect teeth and elaborate handwriting. I thank her for making me study English idioms; I still use them all the time.
Dorothy Smallwood arrived at CSDR in 1955 from the Virginia School for the Deaf. She always stuck to social science as her specialty. Her classroom was full of souvenirs from her summer world travels to Egypt, Italy, Greece, etc., to support her teaching. She always dined in the staff room in the cafeteria for lunch. Warren Fauth and Richard Plummer accompanied her. With the cafeteria modernized, the staff dining room is not there anymore. I ate there for lunch and dinner from 1994 to 2001.
Eileen Quiero was a sweet teacher with a passion for reading. She had a long tenure probably with 30 years.
Second Row
Madeline Musmanno was one of the pioneer teachers from the first year in 1953. She was short. She always stood in the front row for height but stood in the second row this time. How strange. She had a reputation for being a hard-nosed teacher with no tolerance for misbehavior. She was nice but could change her personality quickly for firm discipline. She was an excellent gum cop. For daily classwork, she built our sentence structure skills with rules explained for everything. She retired in 1976, having spent 40 years at NJSD and CSDR.
Everybody loved Miss Lucy Lewis for her soft personality. Her parents were Deaf. She and Assistant Superintendent Armin Turchek were the first interpreters at CSDR. I had her as my teacher for leisure reading. I remember her awkward moment when I asked her for a definition of “prostitute.” She retired in 1979 to take care of her aging mom at home.
Bobbie Bell started around 1955 and mainly worked with students with low academic skills. She was a class sponsor for my Class of 1976.
LeVere Quinn was noted for tons of lecture notes that we all had to copy from the blackboard for social science all year. It had a marked impact on my writing skills. She also taught speech and recorded student’s speech on a black acrylic record on a record player. Speech therapy was a requirement for all until 1973.
Third Row:
Luda Sowell had five hearing sisters, including Norma Best Bradshaw, who decided to pursue a teaching career with the deaf. They all had a Deaf brother who went to the Kentucky School for the Deaf. Her three sisters taught there. Luda specialized in teaching language arts. I had her for my freshman English in 1972. Every Monday, we wrote several paragraphs in a composition book, “The Weekend Experience.” I still have it at home. It contains lots of red marks for my writing errors. Now, my writing is almost perfect.
Fourth Row
Rusty Wales, ‘63, was the first alumnus to gain employment at CSDR in 1967, first as a dorm counselor and then in 1971 as a teacher. He taught science and shared his life experience in science and Deaf culture. He was well-liked and popular. An inspiration for future alumni including myself to follow him.
John Paullin joined the faculty in 1969 and taught math. I had him twice, in 1971 and 1975. I would rate him as a good teacher. He loved to talk about real estate and investments. He was noted for saying bird’s brain in class.
Stan Menson arrived at CSDR in 1955 from Brooklyn and was shocked to see so much grass on the school grounds. He taught Chemistry and Physics for 37 years and then sub-taught for another 10 years. He also performed basic auto engine repair for some staff and former students at home. He was well-liked by all.
Tom Fishler came to CSDR around 1960 and taught vocational and academic classes. He told me he grew up seeing Legendary George Veditz at the Colorado School for the Deaf in the 1930s. He retired in 1989 and returned for sub teaching in 1995. He stopped working when Parkinson’s disease became too difficult for mobility and signing.
Gerald Sullivan taught math for 35 years and kept all the funds of all high school student organizations. I met him in 1972 and learned he was from Canada, our country's neighbor to the north. A genuine gentleman. The HS place looks a little empty with him.
Fifth Row
Ricardo Gonzales got his teacher training at Gallaudet and came to CSDR in the early 1960s. I had him for a year. I learned from him the expression, “If life gives you a lemon, you make it lemonade.” Maintaining a positive outlook on life is a good habit.
David McGarry started in 1955. He was brave enough to tell Dr. Brill to hire him. He was good enough to get the job and stayed for about 25 years. He was famous for his after-shave cologne that stayed strong all day. Upon his retirement, he went into ministry. We appreciate his thoughtfulness of his donation of a box of 35 old yearbooks for the archives.
Carl Barber arrived at CSDR in 1954 and was a true gentleman who would not hurt an insect. All students appreciated his patience in teaching math step by step. When the classwork was finished with time remaining, he shared his life stories from NCSD and Gallaudet. I still remember his stories from 1972. He died of stomach cancer from frequent BBQs at home after 30 years of service. His memorial Sycamore tree is healthy and mighty.
Todd Rutherford joined the school faculty in 1974 to teach history. He also assumed running the drama program. His hard work and dedication produced many excellent plays for 20 years without a stipend at the time. He often went home late at night after rehearsal. He is considered the best drama director by far at CSDR. His director chair and collection of pictures are in the museum.
Frank Husak got a faculty job teaching reading in 1962. He liked to keep his room and appearance perfect. I never saw him become angry. His comprehension of sign language was not his strong suit. Students have been known to give oral reports that were different from what they read or not read at all. Their classmates laughed while Husak smiled and said nothing.
It has been fifty years since this group picture was snapped in 1974. All the faculty had retired. Most of them are still around in their advanced ages. Approximately ten of them died.
Kevin Struxness, ‘76, MA
Editor, CSDR Old Times
26 November 2024
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