Smith, Jess M.

Born at Selmer, TN and became deaf at age 7 from diptheria and scarlet fever. Transferred from public school to the Tennessee School for the Deaf for 7 years until graduation 1935, then attended McNairy County [TN] Central High School 1935-1937 and then earned a B.S. from the University of Tennessee. Editor at UT campus newspaper and yearbook. Went on to earn an M.S. from University of Tennessee, 1952. Taught at Tennessee School for the Deaf 1941-1942, Michigan School for the Deaf 1942-1943, and Tennessee again 1943-1961. Taught at Indiana School for the Deaf beginning 1961, rising to supervising teacher, then assistant superintendent 1971-1989, including a short time in 1984 as acting superintendent. Active in Indiana and Tennessee deaf organizations and the National Association of the Deaf, serving as a NAD board member 1955-1978 and president 1974-1976. Associate editor and then editor of the Silent Worker/Deaf American 1957-1989; editor of the American Annals of the Deaf 1974-1994. Co-founder of Teletypewriters for the Deaf, Inc. (now Telecommunications for the Deaf, Inc.) and a member of its board.