[nagdu] First person to Use Seeing eye dog in US

Cindy Ray cindyray at gmail.com
Fri Jan 20 18:46:27 UTC 2012


I think it probably did. I can't remember. The guy was good at sales and his letter would have showed that, I suspect.

I am just conjecturing here.

Cindy

On Jan 20, 2012, at 12:43 PM, Tracy Carcione wrote:

> Doesn't Love in the Lead say that, while the Saturday Evening Post article
> generated a number of letters asking for a Seeing Eye dog, Morris's was
> the only one who said he'd work to prove the usefulness of guide dogs in
> the U.S., and that is why he was chosen?
> Tracy
> 
>> It would appear that how well the Senator did with his dog is a matter of
>> perspective. Peter Putnam's book, through Morris Frank's correspondence,
>> says he didn't, but gives no corroborating evidence to back up the
>> assertion. W. A. Christensen's book says he did quite well with the dog,
>> but gives equally little real demonstration of this. I'd really like to
>> know more about this little known bit of history myself.
>> 
>> As to Morris, sounds to me as though he was in the right place at the
>> right time. There appeared to be absolutely no screening done before he
>> was shipped over by American Express, though there is some discussion of
>> how and why he, along with Dr. Buchanan, were picked for the initial
>> class. (Dr. Buchanan didn't end up making it until the first Seeing Eye
>> class in Nashville, though.) Still, the selection criteria seemed rather
>> arbitrary by today's standards, and it certainly seems that they were sort
>> of making it up as they went for those first few years.
>> --
>> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
>> Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On Jan 18, 2012, at 10:33 AM, Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC) wrote:
>> 
>>> 	And to the person who doesn't like people who respond to old threads,
>>> Tracey's post re the student doing the class project on civil rights
>>> and guide dogs is what prompted my thinking.
>>> 
>>> Interesting to that Buddy's note blamed the senator for not doing well
>>> with a guide dog. I wonder how and why that conclusion was reached?
>>> Maybe the guy just wasn't a dog person or found it difficult to work in
>>> the kind of relationship a guide dog needs?
>>> Also, does anybody knew if old Moris had done anything to demonstrate he
>>> would do better with a dog?
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>>> Behalf Of Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC)
>>> Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2012 10:28 AM
>>> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] First person to Use Seeing eye dog in US
>>> 
>>> This note just randomly popped up again.
>>> I'm wondering something. If people who were blind were so oppressed
>>> (isn't that what got NFB going)? how did this senator get to be senator?
>>> I've read that Americans tendto vote for politicians that they like ona
>>> personal level, people they'd like to drink beer with v. people who they
>>> think can do the job at hand. That's one reason why John Edwards was so
>>> despised, people thought "You bastard, you cheated on your wife, your
>>> wife who also has cancer".
>>> So, can somebody explain how the blind guy got to be senator if blind
>>> people were held in such poor regard?
>>> 
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>>> Behalf Of Buddy Brannan
>>> Sent: Tuesday, November 22, 2011 12:43 PM
>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] First person to Use Seeing eye dog in US
>>> 
>>> All i've ever seen was a brief mention in "Love In the Lead", which
>>> basically said that this Senator (think his name was Thomas Scholl) got
>>> a guide dog from a trainer in Minnesota, the "Master Eye Foundation", I
>>> think, who got the dog from Germany, and it didn't work very well.
>>> Something like that. A slightly more complete account, which of course
>>> says something slightly different, was in "Almo: His Master's Eyes". I
>>> have both passages around here.
>>> 
>>> Anyway, I may be all confused about what details I got from where, but
>>> here is the relevant passage from Love In the Lead. (I seem to have lost
>>> Almo! How did that happen? See? It's the problem with being a packrat
>>> and then occasionally getting rid of things...)
>>> 
>>>    The German work had been brought to the attention of
>>> American workers for the blind long before Dorothy's Post article
>>> was published.  In 1923, the American Association of Workers for
>>> the Blind heard a lecture on guide dog schooling by a German
>>> trainer. In 1925, the Potsdam school offered Robert Irwin of the
>>> American Foundation for the Blind to provide both dogs and
>>> trainers for a fee.  John L. Synikin, a Minneapolis dog breeder,
>>> studied the work in Germany and returned to set up the Master Eye
>>> Foundation.  He imported a German-trained dog which he retrained
>>> for Senator Thomas Schall of Minnesota in 1927.  At about the
>>> same time, Josef Weber, who had worked with both police dogs and
>>> guide dogs in his native Germany, was establishing a training
>>> kennel outside Princeton, New Jersey.
>>> 
>>> [...]
>>>    Morris answered immediately.  He began, "I have some good
>>> news for you.  Senator Smutz of Minnesota" (he meant Senator
>>> Schall) "has purchased a dog from Munich which was trained in
>>> German, but is now being retrained in English and is proving
>>> absolutely satisfactory to our sightless Senator, taking him all
>>> over Washington.  I believe that in a month after I have the dog,
>>> I can train it to take me anywhere in the United States."
>>> 
>>> [...]
>>> 
>>>    If there was any red tape about importing the dog, he begged
>>> her to let him know, "so that I may be able to bring to bear any
>>> political influence that my family may be able to have." Dorothy
>>> Harrison Eustis must have smiled at this offer of political
>>> influence from a boy of nineteen, but she admired both his
>>> initiative and his altruism.  He wanted a dog not only for
>>> himself, but for all blind Americans, and he was willing to work
>>> for it.  She cabled him that there was no possibility of bringing
>>> a dog on this trip and followed with a letter of explanation.
>>>    Morris's reply accepted the delay with the thought that
>>> "there is absolutely no use in rushing our work." The "our"
>>> suggests that he has graciously taken her into partnership.  He
>>> again listed a number of workers for the blind who knew his
>>> mother and added that Senator Schall had not done nearly so well
>>> with his dog as he had at first supposed.  In fact, his
>>> difficulties had hurt the cause of the guide dog among the
>>> workers for the blind. "Of course, you and I know that this is as
>>> much the Senator's fault as the dog's, but I am confident that,
>>> with a good demonstration, this objection can be quickly
>>> overruled."
>>> [...]
>>> 
>>> 
>>> I'm still on the prowl for another copy of "Almo".
>>> 
>>> --
>>> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
>>> Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On Nov 22, 2011, at 9:34 AM, Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC) wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Anybody know anything about the other guy? I'm curious. What do we know
>>>> of him and what can we learn.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>>>> Behalf Of Margo and Arrow
>>>> Sent: Friday, November 18, 2011 12:33 PM
>>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] First person to Use Seeing eye dog in US
>>>> 
>>>> I still contend Morris Frank was the first person to actually use a
>>>> guide
>>>> dog because he actually used the dog, but, your point is well taken
>>>> that
>>>> someone else had a guide dog in this country.
>>>> 
>>>> Margo and Arrow
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: "Buddy Brannan" <buddy at brannan.name>
>>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Friday, November 18, 2011 12:21 PM
>>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] First person to Use Seeing eye dog in US
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> Actually, Morris Frank wasn't the first person to use a guide dog in
>>>>> the
>>>>> US. Theree was, apparently, a Senator who got one from a German
>>>>> trainer in
>>>>> 1926, but it didn't do so well, or something. We never hear about that
>>>>> guy, and I suspect there's a good reason for that.
>>>>> --
>>>>> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
>>>>> Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> On Nov 18, 2011, at 11:51 AM, Margo and Arrow wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>>> I saw this on the Dog Park email list.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Margo and Arrow
>>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sherrill O'Brien"
>>>>>> <sherrill.obrien at verizon.net>
>>>>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>>>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>> Sent: Friday, November 18, 2011 10:29 AM
>>>>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] First person to Use Seeing eye dog in US
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> This is such a well done and poignant video. Those of us who have
>>>>>>> had
>>>>>>> Seeing
>>>>>>> Eye dogs really appreciate Lucas Franck's dedication and
>>>>>>> professional
>>>>>>> touch
>>>>>>> in everything with which he is involved. Margo, was this on the
>>>>>>> Seeing
>>>>>>> Eye
>>>>>>> list, or on their website? Anyway, thanks much for passing it along
>>>>>>> to
>>>>>>> us.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Sherrill
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org]On
>>>>>>> Behalf Of Margo and Arrow
>>>>>>> Sent: Friday, November 18, 2011 6:57 AM
>>>>>>> To: Undisclosed-Recipient:;
>>>>>>> Subject: [nagdu] First person to Use Seeing eye dog in US
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> the following link has footage taken from The Seeing eye archives
>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>> shows
>>>>>>> Morris Frank, the first person to use a guide dog in this country.
>>>>>>> He
>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>> Dorothy Harrison eustis founded the Seeing eye in 1929 and the guide
>>>>>>> dog
>>>>>>> movement has moved forward since then and there are many guide dog
>>>>>>> schools
>>>>>>> in this country, Canada, and throughout the world.  the person
>>>>>>> narrating
>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>> video is Lukas Franck, a long-time instructor at the seeing Eye.
>>>>>>> Lukas
>>>>>>> trained my first two guide dogs--Deedee and Wayne.  Lukas also
>>>>>>> trained
>>>>>>> wayne
>>>>>>> and me as a team in 1991.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Margo and Arrow
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> http://www.youtube.com/user/seeing4me?feature=mhee#p/u/0/gwYHXNItSks
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>> nagdu mailing list
>>>>>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>>>>>>> for
>>>>>>> nagdu:
>>>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/sherrill.obrien%40verizon
>>>>>>> .net
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>> nagdu mailing list
>>>>>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>>>>>>> for
>>>>>>> nagdu:
>>>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/margo.downey%40verizon.net
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> -----
>>>>>>> No virus found in this message.
>>>>>>> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
>>>>>>> Version: 2012.0.1872 / Virus Database: 2092/4624 - Release Date:
>>>>>>> 11/18/11
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> nagdu mailing list
>>>>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>>>> nagdu:
>>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/buddy%40brannan.name
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> nagdu mailing list
>>>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>>> nagdu:
>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/margo.downey%40verizon.net
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> -----
>>>>> No virus found in this message.
>>>>> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
>>>>> Version: 2012.0.1872 / Virus Database: 2092/4624 - Release Date:
>>>>> 11/18/11
>>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> nagdu mailing list
>>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>> nagdu:
>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/rebecca.pickrell%40tasc.com
>>>> CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This message and any attachments or files
>>>> transmitted with it (collectively, the "Message") are intended only for
>>>> the addressee and may contain information that is privileged,
>>>> proprietary and/or prohibited from disclosure by law or contract. If
>>>> you are not the intended recipient: (a) please do not read, copy or
>>>> retransmit the Message; (b) permanently delete and/or destroy all
>>>> electronic and hard copies of the Message; (c) notify us by return
>>>> email; and (d) you are hereby notified that any dissemination,
>>>> distribution or copying of the Message is strictly prohibited.
>>>> 
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> nagdu mailing list
>>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>> nagdu:
>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/buddy%40brannan.name
>>> 
>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> nagdu mailing list
>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> nagdu:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/rebecca.pickrell%40tasc.com
>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> nagdu mailing list
>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> nagdu:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/rebecca.pickrell%40tasc.com
>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> nagdu mailing list
>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> nagdu:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/buddy%40brannan.name
>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> nagdu mailing list
>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> nagdu:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/carcione%40access.net
>> 
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nagdu:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/cindyray%40gmail.com





More information about the NAGDU mailing list