Van Hattum Fund

Supports the Rolland J. Van Hattum Award for Contribution in the Schools

Dr. Rolland J. Van Hattum was a master teacher and clinician, setting the standard of excellence in service delivery. He was greatly admired for his energy, enthusiasm, and compassion, especially toward children. Dr. Van Hattum was the author of many articles and books, including a series on speech-language programming in the schools published by Charles C. Thomas and College-Hill Press. In 1975, he represented the U.S. in Yugoslavia at the World Planning Conference on Noise as a Public Health Problem, and in 1977 he represented the international speech and hearing profession on the planning committee for the United Nations International Year of the Child.

Dr. Van Hattum served as president of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (1977) and as the ASHA vice president for education and scientific affairs (1973 - 1976); as a member of the ASHFoundation Board of Trustees; the first chairman of the New York Board of Speech Pathology and Audiology (1975 - 1985); president of the Division for Children with Communication Disorders of the Council for Exceptional Children; and president of the New York State Speech-Language-Hearing Association (1968 to 1969).

Dr. Van Hattum received his bachelor's degree in 1950 from Western Michigan University and earned his master's and doctoral degrees from Pennsylvania State University in 1952 and 1956, respectively. He was a consultant in special education with the Rochester, New York, public schools from 1954 to 1958, and director of special education in Kent County, Michigan, from 1958 to 1963. He became professor, department chairman, and director of the Speech and Hearing Clinic at the State University of New York, College of Buffalo in 1963. He held the position of professor until 1984, when he was named professor emeritus. Among many honors, Dr. Van Hattum was a recipient of the Honors of the Association. He was so well known for his support of school-based speech-language pathologists that ASHA's Public School Caucus honored him with the establishment of the Van Hattum School Professionals Advocacy Award; he was its first recipient. He was also named Distinguished Alumni by Western Michigan University, and Citizen of the Year by Grand Island, New York.

Dr. Van Hattum died on March 9, 1987, at the age of 62.

Past Recipients of the Van Hattum Award

The ASHFoundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization under the regulations of the Internal Revenue Service. All contributions to the Foundation are tax-deductible to the extent provided by law.