Speech and Hearing Clinic

By the 1960's, the University's "training program in speech pathology and audiology" was one of only seven such programs in the country to be accredited by the Education and Training Board of the American Board of Examiners in Speech Pathology and Audiology, and the Clinic was one of only 25 such facilities in the country approved for registration by the American Board of Examiners in Speech Pathology and Audiology. The Clinic conducted research on behalf of many organizations, including the Illinois Department of Health, the U. S. Office of Education, the National Institute of Neurological and Sensory Diseases, the National Institute of Dental Research, and the Vocational Rehabilitation Administration. [1]

Despite its impressive academic standing, however, the Speech and Hearing Clinic lacked its own professional building and was instead located in the Lorado Taft house, which was located on the site of the modern-day Swanlund Administration building. [2] After the building was recommended for demolition in 1971, [3] work began to find a new home for the Clinic. Hoping to preserve a historical building at 507 Daniel's Street, the University originally initiated plans to relocate the Clinic there. [4] However, the building burned down before renovation could begin, and a new site had to be found. When the Clinic's current site was selected, there was already a building housing The Cellar, Sparky's Record Shop, Mr. Steak, and John's Barber Shop. Despite an outcry by the owners and many students, the businesses were relocated and the site razed. [5]

The exterior of the modern Speech and Hearing Clinic building is almost a two-story clone of the Foreign Language Building [6] and ground was broken on the $1,990,100 [7] facility in May 21, 1975, [8] with completion two years later in 1977. [9] The building was to add 17,560 square feet to the department [10] and was architected by Ezra Gordon, Jack M. Levin & Associates, while English Brother's Co. provided the general contractor services. [11]