Rev. Otto Berg, '32
1915-1991
Rev. Otto B. Berg was born on January 7, 1915 in Mohall, North Dakota. He grew up on a farm and attended public schools for nine years until he became deaf at the age of 14 due to medical aliment. He was transferred to the North Dakota School for the Deaf at Devils Lake and graduated in 1932. He was employed as a printer and also an editor at a county newspaper. In 1933 he entered Gallaudet College, now Gallaudet University. There he was involved in several activities, specifically as an editor for The Buff and Blue, a student newspaper. Berg graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1938. Following his graduation, he worked as a printer and edited a small weekly newspaper in Wisconsin.
Rev. Berg became interested in becoming a priest for the deaf and he entered the Divinity School of the Protestant Episcopal Church in Philadelphia in 1940. He graduated with a Bachelor of Theology degree in 1943. He began to work with the deaf people. Rev. Berg was ordained as a Deacon at All Soul’s Church for the Deaf in Philadelphia on May 30, 1943. He served as a missionary to the deaf for the Dioceses of Maryland, Washington, DC, Virginia, South and Southwest part of Virginia from November 1, 1943 to December 31, 1947. He also was ordained as an Episcopal priest at Church of St. Michael’s and All Angel’s in Baltimore on May 27, 1944. Rev. Berg was married to Mary Ann Laken in 1945 and had two children, David and Larry.
Rev. Berg served as a vicar at All Souls’ Church for the Deaf in Philadelphia from January 1948 to September 1950. At that time he was a missionary to the deaf for the Dioceses of New Jersey and Delaware. In 1950 Rev. Berg and his family moved to Washington, DC. He served as a vicar at St. Barnabas Mission for the Deaf from 1951 until his retirement on June 30, 1979. He was a part time chaplain at Gallaudet College until September 1, 1950. He founded Canterbury Club, an Episcopal group for Gallaudet students. Rev. Berg worked as a missionary to the deaf for the Dioceses of Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia. He also served as a Vicar at Resurrection, St. Mark’s Church and St. John’s Church in Chevy Chase. He retired in 1979, however, he continued to active as a volunteer teacher at Andeweg School for the Deaf in Beirut, Lebanon for a short time.
Rev. Berg involved in the activities for the Deaf community in the Washington, DC area. He was the President for the DC chapter of Gallaudet University Alumni Association. He was the founder and president of the National Health-Care Foundation for the Deaf, Inc. He served as a President for the Episcopal Conference for the Deaf from 1966 to 1969. He also was the president of the Washington DC Division 46 of the National Fraternal Society of the Deaf from 1970 to 1973. He served on the Board for the Telecommunication Exchange for the Deaf, Inc. He was an editor of The Deaf Episcopalian. In 1980 he was named as a Historiographer for the Episcopal Conference for the Deaf. In 1991 he received an award from the Laurent Clerc Cultural Fund. He received several awards for his tiring service to the deaf.
Rev. Berg wrote a book about the history of the Episcopal Church for the Deaf, titled “Missionary Chronicle: being a history of the ministry to the deaf in the Episcopal Church, 1850-1980” published in 1984. He authored with Henry L. Buzzard, “Thomas Gallaudet: apostle to the deaf: with a supplement on the life and ministry of Henry W. Syle” published in 1989.
Rev. Berg died on May 4, 1991 in Washington, DC.
Source: Gallaudet University Archives http://archives.gallaudet.edu/Berg115.htm