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Mr. LESINSKI. Gallaudet College, formerly named the Columbia Institution for the Deaf, was created as a nonprofit corporation by the act of Congress in 1857. In view of the fact that Gallaudet College is a private corporation within the government of the District of Columbia, its officers and employees are not eligible for Federal employees' group life insurance under the provisions of the act of 1954.

The employees of Gallaudet College are paid almost entirely from Federal funds. Since 1949 they have been included in the civil service retirement system.

The operations of the college itself are subject to governmental control in almost all phases of its administration. Due to the fact that the requirements for insurance coverage closely parallel that of the Civil Service Retirement Act and the salaries almost in their entirety come from Government funds, the Civil Service Commission and the Bureau of the Budget recommend that favorable action be taken on these bills.

The requirements for payment of premium and the amount of insurance involved would be identical to that for other employees of the Federal and District governments. The cost of this action would be infinitesimal in comparison with the cost of the Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance Act.

A number of witnesses have asked to appear before this subcommittee and present testimony in favor of the enactment of these bills. The first witness will be Homer Thornberry, of Texas, sponsor of H. R. 3489.

STATEMENT OF HON. HOMER THORNBERRY, A REPRESENTATIVE

IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS

Mr. THORNBERRY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. LESINSKI. We are glad to have you here with us.
Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, for

the record, my name is Homer Thornberry of Texas.

Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I do not know whether I have had an opportunity of appearing before the subcommittee or full committee since I had the pleasure of serving on this committee some years ago. I appreciate the work you do and the tremendous responsibility you have.

My main reason for being interested in this bill is that I am privileged to serve as one of the members of the board of directors of Gallaudet College along with our colleague, Mr. John Phillips, who represents the House, and Senator Thye, who represents the Senate.

I have had the privilege of serving on this board since early 1949 when I first came to the Congress. As all of you know, Gallaudet College is the only senior college for the education of the deaf in the world. It has students from all over the country. It is largely supported by Federal funds.

Except for the tuition and for the room and board that we are able to obtain from those students whose parents have the money, it is in fact entirely supported by the Federal Government. The buildings on the Campus are built by the Federal Government.

As pointed out by the chairman a moment ago, while I was a member of this committee Congress passed a bill placing the members of the faculty and the employees of the Gallaudet College under the retirement system. Except for that action, we would have been in trouble out there with our fine people, who had devoted a lifetime in the education of the deaf, being unable to retire. It has been a great help to us in obtaining worthwhile faculty members to train the students.

It is my opinion, and, I think, it is the opinion of ever everyone who has gone into the question, that it is only fair to bring the employees of Gallaudet College within the Employees' Group Life Insurance Act.

As you know, the Bureau of the Budget has approved the bill and so has the Civil Service Commission. As I understand it, they have gone into the matter very thoroughly, and I will certainly appreciate a favorable report upon this measure.

I shall be glad to answer any questions about the measure, the school, or anything having to do with them.

Mr. LESINSKI. I appreciate your coming down this morning and your thoughtfulness in putting in this bill. It seems only proper that if the situation is what it is claimed to be, the employees should be given the same consideration as others.

You might say that Gallaudet College is definitely financed and run and the employees are paid by the Federal Government?

Mr. THORNBERRY. Yes, sir.

As a matter of fact, the whole school is subject to the same budgetary control as any other agency of the Government. It has to submit its request for funds through the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare; the request then goes through the Budget, comes up here through the Appropriations Committee like any other.

The only difference is that it is a corporation chartered by Congress. It has some money it gets from tuition and for room and board, which is small in comparison to the overall operation. In fact, we are right now financing a great building program out there costing millions of dollars. It is entirely out of Federal funds. There is no other way to get the money.

Mr. LESINSKI. Any questions?

Mrs. ST. GEORGE. No, Mr. Chairman; but I am happy you have come before the subcommittee. We have missed you on the committee, I know.

Mr. THORNBERRY. Thank you.

Mrs. ST. GEORGE. I would say from reading this bill that it was more or less an oversight that these people were not included in the first place. Is that your opinion?

Mr. THORNBERRY. Yes; I would think at the time it was drawn, as a matter of fact it is such a broad program that at the time those responsible for the drafting were not thinking about a smaller institution or agency such as Gallaudet College and their employees. Mrs. ST. GEORGE. I certainly favor the passage of the bill. Mr. THORNBERRY. Thanks, Mrs. St. George.

Mr. ROBESON. I am in favor of the bill, but I was wondering, do they have an endowment?

Mr. THORNBERRY. No, sir; but we have worked trying to get one over the years. But, for some reason or other, education of the deaf is something that does not catch the fancy of people. It has some small endowment. The Eugene Meyer Foundation has helped endow the library with $10,000.

We have gone to all the big endowment people and asked them for endowments. It has been pretty hard to attract them to it.

Mr. ROBESON. I did not think they had but it surprised me, with the many projects that people do promote, that no one has tried to aid

you.

Mr. THORNBERRY. I agree with you. For instance, the alumni built up an endowment fund that amounts to a little over $100,000 over the years. They certainly are not people of any means. It is being used to match about $240,000 of Federal funds which we in the Congress appropriated to build a library.

It is a situation which really has escaped the attention of a great many people. We are trying to get an endowment for Gallaudet. We have been working at it.

How many people do we have now in Gallaudet College? Mr. JOHNSON. About 275 college students, about 90 elementary students.

Mr. THORNBERRY. So the few in numbers is another thing.
Mr. LESINSKI. Mr. Gross?

Mr. GROSS. I join with others, Mr. Thornberry, in welcoming you back to the committee. I believe we started in at the same time. Mr. THORNBERRY. Yes, sir.

Mr. GROSS. I was sorry to see you leave.

As I understand your amendment, this public law would read:

SEC. 2 (a). Except as provided in (b) of this section, each appointive or elective officer or employee (hereinafter called employee) in or under the executive, judicial, or legislative branch of the United States Government, including a Government-owned or controlled corporation, including Gallaudet College but not including any other corporation

et cetera. That is the only change in the law?

Mr. THORNBERRY. Yes.

Mr. GROSS. Did you state how many employees would be affected? Mr. THORNBERRY. No, Mr. Johnson will give you that figure. He

is here.

Mr. JOHNSON. 144 employees.

Mr. GROSS. At what cost?

Mr. LESINSKI. It was not furnished at all, it was so small.

Mr. GROSS. I thought it might be well for the record to show the

number and the cost. I know it is not large.

Mr. THORNBERRY. I am sure it is not much.

Mr. CASSELL. Six dollars and fifty cents a thousand per year to the employee. The cost would be about $15 a person per year to the Government. And of course, the employee would pay $30 each. It would cost the Government a total of two or three thousand dollars per year.

Mr. GROSS. That is all, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. LESINSKI. Thank you, Mr. Thornberry.

Mr. THORNBERRY. Thank you, very much. I appreciate appearing

before you

Mr. LESINSKI. Mr. Lloyd H. Johnson.

STATEMENT OF LLOYD H. JOHNSON, BUSINESS MANAGER,
GALLAUDET COLLEGE

Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. Chairman, my name is Lloyd Johnson. I am business manager of Gallaudet College.

There is little that I can add to what the Congressman has told you, other than that hasty computation made last night that the amount of insurance involved here would amount to approximately $658,000

coverage.

Mrs. ST. GEORGE. But the actual amount, Mr. Johnson, that would be paid out at the rate of 144 employees is $30 each?

Mr. JOHNSON. Yes, madam.

I will be happy to answer any questions.

Mr. LESINSKI. I think the lady from New York has her figures straight.

Now we have the amount that this insurance would cost. Are there any questions?

Mr. ROBESON. No questions.

Mr. GROSS. No questions.

Mr. LESINSKI. I appreciate your appearing before us, Mr. Johnson.
Mr. Johnson. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. LESINSKI. Mr. Baxter.

STATEMENT OF EDMUND BAXTER, SPECIAL ASSISTANT FOR
INSTITUTIONS, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION AND
WELFARE

Mr. BAXTER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I am Edmund Baxter, consultant on special instututions, Office of the Secretary, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.

To be totally brief, I can say that the Department endorses this bill. I have a very brief statement I would be glad to insert in the record or present to the committee, at the pleasure of the chairman of the committee.

The Department of Health, Education, and Welfare recommends favorable action on H. R. 3455 and H. R. 3489, identical bills to amend the Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance Act of 1954 to bring employees of Gallaudet College within its coverage. Under these bills Gallaudet employees would have the same life insurance privileges as Federal employees.

This proposed legislation, if enacted into law, would strengthen the program of the college and would contribute to the improvement and enlargement of educational opportunities for the deaf people of the Nation.

More specifically, the legislation would make employment at Gallaudet more attractive, thereby aiding the institution in obtaining and keeping qualified faculty and staff members.

These bills are in accordance with existing Federal policy with respect to extension of civil-service privileges to employees of Gallaudet College.

Mr. LESINSKI. Thank you, Mr. Baxter.

Are there any questions?

Mr. GROSS. I have one question.

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What is the connection of the Health, Education, and Welfare Department with the college? It is just a matter of personal information.

Mr. BAXTER. In general, it is the executive agency of the Government through which Gallaudet carries out its relationship and through which its budget is presented to the Bureau of the Budget, and to Congress.

Mr. GROSS. I see.

Mr. BAXTER. An Assistant Secretary of the Department, Mr. Mintener, serves on the board of directors of the college.

My particular function is to represent the Office of the Secretary in its relationship with Gallaudet and several other institutions.

Mr. GROSS. Thank you, sir.

Mr. BAXTER. The College is operated under the direct supervision of its board of directors in accordance with our usual policy of local or State or private control of education. But the Department works closely with the board and the Bureau of the Budget and, of course, Congress, in helping the college plan its program and process its budgets.

Mr. GROSS. Then your function is largely liaison between the college and the Congress.

Do you have any supervisory power over the curricula of the college?
Mr. BAXTER. No, sir; we do not exercise any.
Mr. LESINSKI. Are there any other questions?

We certainly appreciate your coming before us, Mr. Baxter.

If there are no further questions, I believe we will bring this hearing to a close. Before we do so, the letter from the Civil Service Commission has covered pretty well what the statement has said, but for the information of the committee, I will read from the letter:

The insurance coverage closely parallels that of the Civil Service Retirement Act and we see no valid reason for considering the distinction here. The Commission, therefore, recommends favorable action on these bills.

I believe the hearing should be closed.
We appreciate you gentlemen coming before us.
Mr. BAXTER. Thank you for the opportunity.
(Whereupon, at 10 a. m., the hearing was concluded.)

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