Donald J. Kidd
Science: Geology
Donald J. Kidd was born June 9, 1922 in Nordegg, Alberta, Canada. He had pneumonia (MP4) when he was nine months old. He became deaf because of the sickness. Kidd went to many different schools. Some of them were the Wright Oral School and the Clinton Street School.
He went to college at the University of Toronto. He got his bachelor's degree in chemical engineering (MP4). He then got his master's degree in Economic Geology (MP4) and Physical Chemistry (MP4). After that he got his doctorate degree. He was the first deaf person from Canada to get a doctorate degree.
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Kidd worked as a research geologist (MP4) for the Geophysical Engineering and Surveys Company in Ontario. He went on several risky expeditions (MP4). Once he was almost attacked by a bear!
Kidd was a member of many different societies (MP4). He wrote many different papers. Kidd was very busy in the 1950s. In two years Kidd investigated 150 different places for minerals (MP4), gold (MP4), copper (MP4), and asbestos.
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Gold
Credit: James St. John https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0
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Copper
Credit: Jonathan Zander (Digon3) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
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Asbestos
Credit: Public Domain
Kidd had friends in the Deaf community (MP4). A friend taught him how to sign and fingerspell. He met many important people in the Deaf community. He became a leader and was in charge of many different things. While he was a leader, he told people that schools should communicate using sign language, speech, and lip reading.
After this, Kidd decided he wanted to become a teacher. He taught math at Gallaudet College. After that he taught physics (MP4).
He died of a heart attack (MP4) in 1966.
Honors
- Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario
- Geological Association of Canada
- Geochemical Society
- Edmonton Geological Society
- Artic Institute of North America
Leadership
- Director of the Ontario Association of the Deaf
- Secretary of the Toronto Division of the National Fraternal Society of the Deaf
- Directory of the Canadian Association of the Deaf
Read More about Donald J. Kidd
References
- Lang, H. G., & Meath-Lang, B. (1995). Donald Kidd. In A Biographical Dictionary: Deaf Persons in the Arts and Sciences (pp.208-210). Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
Page last updated 11:35 AM, April 20, 2023