History of GHID:

GHID was founded on May 14, 1971 with 16 charter members. That group met at the home of Lucille McAllister and elected the following officers: Randall Clements, President; Lucy (Maxwell) Koehl McAlister, Vice President; Mary Redman/Judy Robertson, Secretary; Letha Kelly, Treasurer; Rev. Don Haug, Parliamentarian. Most if not all of the original board members were college or university interpreters.

By June 17, 1971, the membership had grown to 25 and by November 19, 1971, there were 63 members. Regular members paid $3 in annual dues, while associate members paid $2.

The GHID Executive Board worked hard their first year, contacting all of the local television stations to have them provide either captioning services or interpreting for the Deaf. KTRK, channel 13, still provides interpreting services to this day. Randall Clements and Lucille (Maxwell) Koehl McAlister appeared on KHOU, channel 11, to promote GHID’s vision on September 1, 1971.

Our original purpose statement read, “The purpose of G.H.I.D. is to advance the general welfare of the Deaf and to present to the hearing community a better understanding of the Deaf and to encourage the acceptance of the Deaf by the hearing people through the services of G.H.I.D.”

Today we have a thriving Professional Development organization committed to helping certified interpreters and students increase and sharpen their skills. We are a chapter of the Texas Society of Interpreters for the Deaf (TSID) and a direct affiliate chapter of the national Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID).

If you would like to be a part of this growing organization with a rich history of providing support, development, and high standards to the Interpreting profession, please click on the Memberships link for a down-loadable form.