Lottie Louise Riekehof facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lottie Riekehof
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Photo from Battern High School Yearbook, 1937
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| Born | August 13, 1920 Germany
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| Died | August 6, 2020 (aged 99) Arlington, Virginia, United States
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| Occupation | Interpreter and Educator |
Lottie Louise Riekehof (born August 13, 1920 – died August 6, 2020) was an amazing American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter and teacher. She was a true pioneer in making sign language interpreting a real profession. Lottie wrote one of the first guides for teaching interpreters. She also trained many interpreters and teachers of interpreting all over the world.
Contents
About Lottie Riekehof
Her Early Life
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Lottie Riekehof was born in Germany in 1920. She was the oldest of four children. In 1923, when Lottie was three, her family moved from Lage, Germany, to Elizabeth, New Jersey, in the United States. After they settled, her two younger brothers were born.
Her Career in Sign Language
Around 1945, Lottie Riekehof started working at Calvary Gospel Church in Washington D.C.. She was a missionary and also a musician there.
She met a deaf woman at the church and began learning American Sign Language (ASL). She learned a few signs each week.
Later, from 1947 to 1948, Riekehof took ASL classes at Gallaudet College. These classes were taught by Elizabeth Peet.
Around 1949, she went to the Central Bible College (CBC) to earn her bachelor's degree. While there, she interpreted for deaf students. She also taught sign language classes at CBC. Her students were preparing to become missionaries or ministers for deaf people. This was the first time a college offered sign language for college credit. This meant students could earn points towards their degree by taking these classes.
Lottie Riekehof helped make interpreting a respected job. She understood how important good education and training were for interpreters. Starting in 1951, she was the dean of women at CBC for 20 years. She also started the CBC Deaf Program.
She later went to New York University and earned her master's degree. After that, she taught sign language there. She also worked on her Ph.D. paper, which was published in 1971.
In 1970, Riekehof returned to Gallaudet College. She taught sign language courses to students who were studying to teach deaf people. Again, these were the first such courses offered for college credit. She also taught as a professor in the communication arts department.
She was the dean of women at Gallaudet until 1974. After that, she became the new leader for interpreter training in the American Sign Language programs at Gallaudet College.
In 1987, Riekehof became the temporary head of the communication arts department at Gallaudet. Besides her many jobs at Gallaudet, she traveled around the world. She taught at workshops and continued to interpret in the Washington D.C. area.
She kept working at Gallaudet College until she retired in 1990.
Lottie Riekehof lived in Arlington, Virginia, for a long time. She passed away on August 6, 2020, just one week before her 100th birthday.
Her Books on Sign Language
Lottie Riekehof knew there were not many good books to learn sign language from. This led her to write her first book in 1961. It was called American Sign Language. A former student of hers published it privately.
The book was updated in 1963 with a new title, Talk to the Deaf. This new version included pictures. Lottie Riekehof sat with an artist and showed how to make each sign. The artist then drew the movements on paper. Many hours were spent drawing and designing the book. These drawings helped people learn sign language words. It was a great tool for parents to talk with their deaf children. It also helped students learning to sign.
The book had many words, diagrams, and instructions on how to make signs. It also shared the history of some signs. The book was organized into sections, making it easy to follow. Gospel Publishing House started selling the book, and it became one of their best sellers. It has sold over 2 million copies.
In 1978, an updated version called Talk to the Deaf 2 was written. The name was later changed to The Joy of Signing: The new illustrated guide for mastering sign language and the manual alphabet. This book was used all over the world. Lottie Riekehof was surprised to even see her book used on television to teach chimpanzees how to sign!
Her books are available in paperback or hardcover. There is also a video version of the books. It has nine hours of footage. Lottie Riekehof also made two puzzle books with Linda Lascelle Hillebrand. These books helped people learn even more.
