Dr. Yerker Andersson was born as Jerker Johan Olof Andersson on November 29, 1929 in Vallentuna, Sweden. At the age of 7, he enrolled at the Manilla School for the Deaf in Stockholm in 1937. He received his diploma from the Manilla School in 1945. At the time of his naturalization in 1960, he took Yerker as his official name. After his graduation, he attended the NKI School (Nordiska korrespondensinstitutet), equivalent as a correspondence school, located in Stockholm and studied advanced courses in English, Swedish and arithmetic for three years. He received the diploma in 1949.

Prior to Yerker Andersson’s departure for his study in the United States, he was involved in Deaf organizations at the national and international levels, he has held board member positions Stockholms Dövas Förening (Stockholm Club of the Deaf) from 1951 through 1955 and was a member of numerous committees, leader of a three-week trip in Europe in 1953, editor of Swedish Deaf Club papers, correspondent of World Federation of the Deaf, evening course teacher, and study travels in Europe from 1949 through 1954 by train or bicycle.

Yerker Andersson was admitted to Gallaudet College, now known as Gallaudet University in 1955. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree with sociology as major in 1960. During the college years, he was involved in various student organizations, such as Exchange Editor of The Buff and Blue, member of the Alpha Sigma Pi Fraternity, Editor-in-Chief of the 1960 Tower Clock, President of the Ballard Literary Society, Parliamentarian during his junior year and was elected to Phi Alpha Pi Society, (an academic honor society of Gallaudet College) in 1960 and received numerous scholarships and awards.

In 1960, Yerker Andersson continued at Columbia University (Teachers College) in New York for a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling and professional diploma in counseling. Right after graduation in 1962, he was offered a job as guidance counselor at the New York School for the Deaf in White Plains, New York, which he held until 1964.

Dr. Leonard M. Elstad, then President of Gallaudet College, offered Yerker Andersson a teaching position as Assistant Professor in the Sociology Department in 1964. Later, he was promoted to Associate Professor in 1968. He was the Department Chair of Sociology and Social Work from 1974 until 1980. He was also serving as a special assistant to the Dean of College of Arts and Science from 1980 to 1982. He enrolled in the doctorate program at the University of Maryland at College Park and graduated with a Ph.D. degree in Sociology in 1981. In 1982, Yerker Andersson was again promoted to Professor. Dr. Harvey Corson, the Provost formed a task force on American Sign Language and Deaf Studies in 1991. Dr. Andersson was appointed to serve the task force to examine the possibility of establishing a program or department in those disciplines, which eventually established a program within the field. He directed the program as a coordinator of American Sign Language and Deaf Studies Program from July 1993-July 1994 and served as Chair of the Department of Deaf Studies from 1994 to 1996.

See page of Yerker Andersson’s Professional and Other Activities for more information. (End of Document) It was the VIth International Games of the Deaf held in Copenhagen, Denmark that inspired Yerker Andersson’s interest in international relations. Over the years, Yerker Andersson attended various international events such as World Federation of the Deaf and the International/World Games of the Deaf. He edited the foreign news published in The Deaf American from 1969 through 1987. Yerker Andersson was actively involved with the National Association of the Deaf, and chaired the NAD International Relations Committee and its work with the World Federation of the Deaf. In 1975, at the VIIth World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf held in Washington, DC, Yerker Andersson was elected as Vice President. Since 1975, in collaboration with the members of the WFD, the Bureau set up strategic goals. They were to establish a network with the national federation of the Deaf of each nation to exchange information in efficient ways to influence their national governments to improve their rights, such as sign language, advocacy, and interpreting service. In 1983, WFD held the IXth World Congress in Palermo, Italy, that Yerker was elected and elevated to the presidency. During the 1980s and early 1990s, the strategic goals have been focused on aid to the developing countries, a Deaf majority at the Bureau level, and working with UNESCO to recognize sign language as the legitimate language of Deaf people. Andersson provided expert input about the Deaf community for the UN and WHO as well. In 1992, Yerker Andersson was the first Deaf leader to address the UN general assembly. Prior to the XIIth World Congress of the WFD, held in Vienna, Austria, Yerker Andersson stepped down as the President. After 32 years of service to Gallaudet University, Yerker Andersson retired in 1996. Afterward, he was honored as Professor Emeritus. In 1996, the United States President William Clinton appointed him to the National Council on Disability and he was the first Deaf individual who used sign language to serve the Council. Yerker Andersson’s term at the National Council on Disability expired in 1998. Notably, Yerker Andersson’s interests are collecting philatelic materials related to Deaf community, smoking pipes, books associated to the Deaf community, and shipbuilding.