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House honors Washoe and
Central Washington University research
Chimp was first non-human to learn American Sign
Language
The House
of Representatives today adopted a resolution honoring
Washoe, a
chimpanzee who was the first non-human to acquire a human language,
American Sign Language. Washoe died Oct. 30, 2007 at the age of 42 after
a brief illness.
Reps. Judy
Warnick
and Bill
Hinkle sponsored
House Resolution 4672 to honor Washoe's contribution to
communication research and the dedication of researchers to chimpanzees
around the world.
The resolution also recognizes the work of Dr. Roger and Deborah
Fouts, co-directors of the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute
(CHCI)
at Central Washington University (CWU).
“We wanted to recognize the unique achievements of Washoe, who not only
learned human communication but also taught us to think differently
about chimpanzees and taught her chimp family American Sign Language as
well," said Warnick, R-Moses Lake. “We also wanted to thank Roger and Debbi for their incredible
dedication to Washoe and her family, and to their accomplishments in
communication research.”
“Washoe made
people think differently about communication among living things,” said
Hinkle, R-Cle Elum. “She had a huge impact on not only the people in our
district, but visitors and researchers around the world.”
Washoe came from West Africa where she was being used for research in the U.S. space
program. She began learning American Sign Language in 1966, in Washoe
County, Nevada.
At the invitation of Central Washington University, the Fouts came to Ellensburg in 1980 and created a sanctuary for Washoe
and her family, Tatu, Loulis, and Dar.
“CWU offered us an opportunity to create a peaceful environment for
Washoe and her family and where we could continue to explore
chimpanzee-human communications,” said Dr. Fouts. “We’re very thankful,
too, for the support of the Legislature, which helped us provide a
facility that truly meets the unique needs of chimpanzees and
communications research.”
In 1990, the Washington State Legislature approved $1.5 million to aid
construction of a facility to accommodate the needs of the chimps and
the education mission of the CHCI. Until the construction of the
facility in 1993, Washoe and her family were housed in a cramped primate
lab in the Department of Psychology. The new
facility created a better habitat for the
chimpanzees and enabled school groups and the public to see what the
institute was accomplishing.
The Washoe Project has yielded research used to help children with
communications disorders -- the deaf, the autistic, and the mentally
handicapped. The Fouts continue to promote and
develop humane research methods at CWU, where they also established
the non-profit organization Friends of Washoe, dedicated to the welfare
of chimpanzees.
The resolution will now be
transmitted from the chief clerk of the House to the Fouts and other
researchers at Central Washington University.
Editor's Note:
High-resolution photos of the below are attached.
Dr. Roger and Deborah Fouts with
Reps. Warnick, Hinkle and Dickerson and Sen. Holmquist in the Capitol
building with displays about the
Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute. Feb. 22, 2008.
Dr. Roger and Deborah Fouts being recognized by the House of
Representatives. Feb. 22, 2008.
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For more information, contact:
Mike Deising, Public
Information Officer - (360) 786-7698
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