The Conference of Executives of American Schools for the Deaf was founded in 1868 at Gallaudet University. At that time its name was the Conference of Superintendents and Principals of the American Schools for the Deaf until it changed the name to the Conference of Executives of American Schools for the deaf in 1931. It is the second oldest professional organization for educators of the deaf in the United States after the Convention of American Instructors of the Deaf, which was founded in 1850. The conference’s purposes are to promote the management and operation of schools for the deaf, promote the welfare of the deaf, and promote the professional growth of teachers of the deaf by establishing and maintaining standards for teachers through certification procedures and approval of teacher training centers. The conference holds its general meetings every two years to exchange information among the superintendents and principals in relating the education of the deaf.