Remembering Our History

This page is a work in progress.
Below is information graciously submitted to OKRID Secretary by Sandie Busby on February 2018.
If you have information or are interested in compiling and preserving the history, roots, and establishment of Oklahoma Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, please contact secretary@okrid.org.
Thank you Sandie for the submission, and also a THANK YOU to those who have pioneered the profession and community with courage.
 **********************************************************************
The Lamplighter was a newsletter put out to all deafies, Methodist church
and interpreters at the time.
July 1971, 1st page:
The Oklahoma Chapter of the National Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf met and
organized during the Oklahoma Association for the Deaf convention in Tulsa July 9,
1971. Stan McElhaney, president of the OAD, was very instrumental in passing
legislation at the business meeting of OAD providing $25.00 seed money for expenses in
setting up the OKRID. E. R. Rhodes, (Ruth’s father) was also a big booster.
The organization will be known as “OKRID,” and will be responsible for recruiting and
training people to interpret; informing all Judges and keeping them informed concerning
your interpreting law, establishing requirements for interpreters, and many other project
are planned. The next meeting is planned for Sept. 11, at 2pm at the Assembly of God
church in Oklahoma City.
Sept 1971 issue
The Oklahoma Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf will hold their 1st meeting, Saturday,
September 11, at 2pm in the First Assembly of God Church in Oklahoma City. Officers
include Mrs. Ruth Stidham, President, Dr. W. Ted Griffing, Vice President, Mrs. June
Pierce, Secretary, Mr. Jack Foreman Treasurer, and LaVerle Carrington, evaluations. A
report will be printed next month of the planning. Any deaf person who is interested is
invited to attend along with all hearing people who are interested in making a strong
interpreters group in Oklahoma.
December 1971
The Oklahoma Chapter of the Registry of interpreters for the Deaf was officially
organized at a meeting in Tulsa Oklahoma, November 6, 1971, guest speaker at the
meeting was Mr. Tom Dillon, principal of the New Mexico School for the Deaf. The next
meeting of the Oklahoma Chapter of Registry of Interpreters will be February 5, 1972, at
St. Luke’s United Methodist church, 1516 N. Harvey in Oklahoma City, at 1pm.
October 1972
OKRID to hold fund raising dinner:
The Oklahoma Chapter of Registry of Interpreters for the deaf will hold a spaghetti
dinner, Saturday, October 14, at 12 noon at Mrs. Jenny Koons home 1610 E. 17th Place,
Tulsa, Oklahoma. Price of the dinner is $1.00.
Purpose of the meeting is to add extra money to the treasury, elect a secretary and hear
reports from various committees. Please let Ruth Stidham know if you plan to attend in
order to know how much food to prepare.
Jean Scrivener was there; many other folks were involved.
  • (Linda Blue: It is funny but now that I think of it, we never somehow established W. T.
    Griffing as a name for OKRID along before Richard Mullins. He was the first true leader
    of many, many areas of our state and for the deaf and interpreters. Richard Mullins
    moved to Oklahoma about 1975-76 and Griffing died in 1985)
    LaVerle Carrington, W. T. Griffing, Jack Forman, were the old timers and then the other
    folks followed after that. Seems Jack and Maxine Money from Tulsa area were involved,
    it was mostly church interpreters who really got together and tried to get this going.
    Linda Blue recalls around 1973-75 not sure exact date, but Linda Dyer came to
    Oklahoma. She along with LaVerle Carrington worked with many other folks to keep the
    organization going, as well as Kathy Jones.
    According to LeVerle Carrington:
    1976—OKRID put up $200 to start a legal fund to assist OAD in the fight against the
    City of Oklahoma City and the Police Department.
    -August 5, 1976, an application was filed for temporary restraining order and
    temporary permanent injunction against the Okla. City Police Dept. because of
    the continued practice of arresting the deaf without providing an interpreter was
    filed.
    -August 6, 1976, the court ruled the interpreter law did not apply to hearing-
    impaired or speaking impaired persons on the arrest level.
    -September 3.1976 a petition in error and Designation was filed requesting a
    hearing in the Supreme Court moving the hearing out of the lower court.
    1977—OKRID meeting held May 14, 1977 at the OCHI conference in Tulsa; new
    officers were elected.
    President: LaVerle Carrington
    Vice President: Fred Watterson
    Secretary: Maxine Money
    Treasury: Wanda Hull
    Board Members: Stan McElhaney, Jack Bertram and W. T. Griffing
    Evaluation chairperson: Jack Money
    Training/workshop chairperson: Linda Dyer
    Editor newsletter: W. T. Griffing
    33 Deaf and hearing joined the newly formed OKRID by paying $3.00 per person
    -July 8, 1977, the appeal was briefed by amicus curiae and submitted on its merits
    -September 29, 1977, the Supreme Court entered an order of transfer to the Court
    of Criminal Appeals.
    -October 18, 1977, the Court of Criminal Appeals entered an order of dismissal
    because the case was not criminal in nature.
    -November 14, 1977, OAD and OKRID’s lawyer, Marti Hirst, filed a motion to
    reinstate the appeal for the Supreme Court to direct the court of Criminal Appeals
    to reconsider the case and set aside their previous order dismissing the appeal and
    in support of this alternative case.
  • 1978—January –Jack Money became seriously ill and doctors advised him to be relieved
    of all his activities. As a result, Jack resigned as evaluation chairperson.
    Linda Thurman was appointed to take the chairpersons position of evaluations.
    -March 4, 1978—OKRID held an evaluation in Okla. City
    Evaluators: Linda Thurman, LaVerle and Wendy Carrington, Wanda Hull, Jerry
    Randel and Raymond Willingham
    Pat Stowe and Glenda Jones made the skilled rank and Connie Jo Russell, Terri
    Brown and Pat King made the apprentice rank.
    -March 10, it was reported that OKRID membership had grown to 45.
    -March 15, 1978, the Oklahoma Supreme court ruled requiring all state police
    departments provide interpreters for deaf mutes at the time of arrest. This caused
    a dilemma among small town police departments and as well as in larger city
    police departments.
    November 4, 1978—US Senate passes the Bilingual Hearing and Speech
    Impaired Court Interpreter Act which strengthens Oklahoma Supreme Court
    decision.
    -April 21-22, 1978 Linda Dyer held the third interpreter training workshop at East
    Central University with Mrs. Annett Long, from Arizona, emphasizing reverse
    interpreting.
    -May 19, 1978 (Friday) OKRID held next meeting at the O. C. H. I. meeting at
    East Central University. At this meeting the membership had grown to 65. This
    activity brought about the Interpreter for the Deaf Act at the 38
    th
    Legislature,
    which passed the Senate Bill 490 and became effective May 21, 1982.
    LaVerle and Linda Blue were Chairpersons for the OKRID for the RID evaluations held
    in Tulsa Oklahoma at TCC (summer of 78?). Kathy Jones, Linda Dyer and a few coming
    before the committee attempting for their certifications. Annette Long from Arizona was
    the RID representative along with LaVerle and Linda Blue.