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Dr. Gertie Galloway opened several doors for Deaf women as if she succeeded to break through the "Ceiling Glass".  As many firsts of the woman roles in her entire career life, she achieved as follows:

1. First deaf woman superintendent of the Katzenbach School for the Deaf in New Jersey
2. First woman elected president of National Association of the Deaf
3. First woman president of the Conference of the Educational Administrators of the Schools and Programs for the Deaf
4. First woman president of the Deaf Seniors of America, Inc.

She was asked if it was difficult to be a leader, and she answered no because it happened at the right time with the Women's Liberation in 1970s.

As she was born third generation deaf in 1930 to her deaf parents and maternal grandparents and grew up in Washington DC, she attended the Kendall School on the campus of Gallaudet University. Sign language is her native language as though she first learned sign word for "milk" at the age of 10 months.

She is actively involved in many Deaf organizations and councils such as committee of the World Federation of the Deaf, Gallaudet University Alumni Association, and Consumer Policy Board with Sorensen Communications. In addition, She was honored to receive honorary degree from Gallaudet University. Even she took a part in the Vagina Monologues show. She is also involved in the education of Deaf children for 40 years. Thanks to her strong advocacy for Deaf children in the school systems, she was a chair of the Pre-college Committee on the National Commission of the Education of the Deaf (COED) 1986-1988. This COED was to study quality education for Deaf and hard of hearing students and present findings in the report, “Toward Equality – Education of the Deaf” including some recommendations to the Congress.  Unfortunately, the report did not make any impact yet.

As she is divorced, she has two hearing daughters and one hearing son but lost one daughter and son later in their 40s.

Gertie was asked if not for being divorced, would she choose a different path or to be the same like today what she is. She agreed it was true as though she kept asking herself if there was no divorce. However, she stated that she never wanted to give the divorce credit for what she was now. She believed she might do it anyway if she stayed married. Although she thought about placing her children first, she got divorced when her children were young.

She did not know whether the story was true by her friends about her ex-husband that would never permit her to choose her career. Therefore, when her children left to their own lives, she went ahead on her own. That is where she believes she made it as far as she likes to be competitive.

As she enjoys being grandmother to her remaining daughter’s twins, she continues traveling as guest speaker in demand, and coordinating overseas tours.