Eckert, Richard Clark

Born hard of hearing, though his hearing slowly declined to a profound level in his early 20s. Attended a Catholic parochial school, but did not finish high school. Worked briefly at a McDonald's, but had a drug and alcohol problem; he also entered a bad marriage with a hearing woman. He finally kicked the addictions and the marriage. Working for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, he discovered his connections both to deafness and his Indian heritage, and entered college. M.A. from Central Michigan University, then studied at the University of Michigan for his Ph.D. He remarried to a deaf woman, Katrina. In 2002, he began teaching at Gallaudet University.