A Proud History - 1970's

A celebrity golf tournament to raise funds for the Institute was held in Wichita. Celebrity golfers included singer Glenn Campbell and Brooklyn Dodger pitcher Don Drysdale.

Free screening clinics for preschoolers to check for possible problems in speech, language and /or hearing were begun at the Institute in 1975. The screenings were initially funded by an ACTION Region VII grant and were staffed by Women’s Advisory Council volunteers under the supervision of staff members.

Dr. Frank R. Kleffner, former director of clinics at the Central Institute for the Deaf and professor of speech pathology at Washington University, St. Louis, became the Institute’s fifth director.

Oral Muscular Therapy, designed to teach chewing, swallowing and self-feeding skills to the physically handicapped, was added to the Institute’s programs in 1979.

A celebration was held in 1979 marking the 30th birthday of the facilities on Jardine Drive, built in 1949.