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Creation of Penhurst State School
In 1903, the Pennsylvania Legislature authorized the creation of the Eastern State Institution for the Feeble-Minded and Epileptic. -
Opening of Penhurst State School
On November 23, 1908, "Patient number 1" was admitted to the hospital. -
Overcrowding
From the beginning, there was major overcrowding at Penhurst. There was pressure from society, in the eugenics movement, to admit people who they wanted removed from the gene pool so they were taken to school like Penhurst to be removed from society. -
Commission for the Care of the Feeble-Minded
In 1913, the legislature appointed a Commission for the Care of the Feeble-Minded which stated that the disabled were unfit for citizenship and posed a "menace" to the peace. -
Population
Penhurst's population peaked in 1955 with over 3,500 patients. "New Facilities" we're made to accommodate more people however, these facilities were old tuberculosis sanctuaries. -
Suffer the Little Children
In 1968, conditions at Pennhurst were exposed in a five-part television news report anchored by local NBC10 correspondent Bill Baldini. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PG5LtABXDr4 -
PARC v. Commonwealth of PA
PARC v. Commonwealth of PA is filed in Federal District Court. The lawsuit seeks access to public education for all children. The "right to education" lawsuit is eventually settled with a consent decree which became a model for a national right to education law passed in 1974. -
Closure of Penhurst
In 1984, Halderman v. Penhurst parties, a lawsuit against Penhurst by a mother of one of the patients in 1974, was brought to an end and Penhurst was finally shut down in 1986. -
Penhurst Preservation
In 2008, Pennhurst Memorial and Preservation Alliance was formed to advocate for the re-use of the site and to urge the people to capitalize on its history and architecture for the benefit of the region. -
Special Education
Special Education has come a long way since the beginning of Penhurst, IDEA was formed under the Special Education Law and all students no matter their ethnicity, race, disability, etc. are guaranteed a right to an education. -
The Future of Special Education
I predict in the future most if not all teachers at every grade level will be certified in special education. -
New Learning Spaces
20 years from now, I believe there will be more creative and innovative learning spaces. Places where all students can go to improve on their studies, where classrooms are more adaptive to fit every students needs. -
Students in Control of their Education
In 2036, I predict students with disabilities will have more control over their education. Students will be allowed to learn what they choose and have autonomy over their educational decisions.
