lost in laconia Flashcards
when did the school open?
1903 with 58 children admitted.
why did some people go to the school?
- because they had nowhere to go
- their parents did not love them
- because their families had too many people to take care of or they were getting too old to take care of the
what were almshouses/poorhouses?
places where a bunch of dependent people lived, people who needed housing: the elderly, people with disabilities.
was their separation between genders in almshouses/poorhouses??
no, there was not.
what did the pressures against the almshouses lead to?
political leaders started to consider building state-operated, residential schools for children with disabilities.
the poor were seen as in that position because of what?
because of their actions, not society.
who was the the first superintendent of laconia state school?
dr. charles sherman.
what did dr. charles sherman believe?
he thought it was necessary to keep “defectives” in one place for the betterment of society.
why was a lot of excess land bought around the school?
to prevent trespassing.
what was the population of the school?
ranged from children to adults.
who was dr. benjamin ward baker?
- another superintendent
- he was a physician, and there was the belief that physicians made the best educators
what was eugenics used to justify?
that belief that some races were superior to others.
being “feeble minded” was seen as what?
something shameful.
in 1924, new hampshire school for the feeble minded was changed to what?
to its new name (laconia state school).
what was one of the reasons for the increased admissions at the school?
eugenics.
eugenics was seen as what?
a way to solve social problems by blaming people/victims of the system.
people thought that if we selected who could reproduce then we could what?
create a better society.
disabled people were seen as a what?
threat.
families with a person or people with disabilities were what?
shamed.
what was one of the only ways to get out of laconia?
to get sterilized.
what was it necessary to be sterilized at laconia?
this was to ensure that their “bad genes” would not be passed on.
when was new hampshire’s first sterilization law enacted?
1917.
what did new hampshire’s first sterilization law do?
- allowed sterilization for feeble-minded people
- after a while, law was changed so that consent from the person to be sterilized was no longer needed
in 1947, how many sterilization happened at laconia?
264.
when was the practice of sterilization was discontinued?
1958.
why were families recommended to send their child to laconia?
they thought that it would be in their child’s best interest.
who was sterilized more, men or women?
women.
what often happened when many disabled people were institutionalized?
they were forgotten about.
what abuse happened at laconia?
- many students were forced to just sit and do nothing
- many students were physically/verbally abused by other students and staff
- some people in wheelchairs were pushed down the stairs
who was richard hungerford?
- new superintendent in 1952
- was not a medical provider, but instead a teacher
- he invited parents in to visit
- formed the new hampshire for retarded children, a parent organization for the laconia school
what were the bathrooms like at laconia?
- toilets and bathrooms not taken care of, toilet bowls were cracked and leaked
- they did not renovate them as they thought that the students did not know how to use the toilets anyway
how was food like at laconia?
- there was often not enough food for the people there
- people had to call to get more food because the dining halls were cutting back
what did hungerford do with housing?
- built new, nice cottages
- created co-educational activities for the residents and made a new geriatrics building
why was hungerford not well-liked by politicians?
he asked for too much and he was too ahead of his time.
who was arthur toll?
- the new superintendent of the 1960s
- invited parents in and emphasized education, but laconia was still rooted in treatment
- students were given pills to behave
how many residents were at the school in 1962?
990.
how many residents were at the school in 1970?
1,162.
because of how laconia was set up, a lot of students were not prepared for what?
the real world.
usually it was two staff members for every what?
40 residents.
before staff members gave food to the residents, they had to do what?
- they had tied them to a bench to signify that they had not eaten
- they would be untied after they ate
- staff say it was the only way to know if a client had been fed
although a lot of heinous things happened at laconia, it was thought to be what?
one of the best institutions at the time.
what was the RSA 171-A division of mental health?
establish, maintain, implement, and coordinate a system to help developmentally disabled people.
who was jack melton?
- the new superintendent of 1975
- a psychologist
- he wanted to upgrade the facilities at the school
what is the state association for retarded citizens/association for retarded citizens?
approached the new hampshire legal assistance to look into the conditions at laconia.
conditions at laconia were worse than what?
state hospitals and even prisons.
what was garrity vs. gallen?
a lawsuit stating that new hampshire violated RSA 171-A and the U.S. constitution by not providing enough services for residents at laconia.
there was a myth that the people at the laconia school were what?
dangerous and had the most-severe disabilities.
who was rich croker?
- the last superintendent of laconia state school in 1986
- introduced an education program for the clients
- the institution downsized during this time
when did the school close?
on january 31st, 1991.
the goal about learning about laconia is to what?
not have it repeat.
