Dorothy Meyer, pictured here with Herbert Stern, Jr., and colleague Morton Schamberg started holding lip reading classes in the basement of the Meyer home. Dr. Robert Henner, Otologist, at Michael Reese Hospital had a vision of establishing a clinic to support individuals with hearing loss and speech issues. As a precursor to FHSR, Meyer and Schamberg started a board comprised of their family and friends to start to raise money to see Dr. Henner’s vision become a reality.

Establishment of the Robert Henner Hearing and Speech Center at Michael Reese Hospital of Chicago. The Center answered a great need: the organization developed speech and rehabilitation programs and classes for children and adults, most of whom had hearing loss.

The board of friends, family and individuals with hearing loss formally becomes the Foundation for Hearing and Speech Rehabilitation with the mission to serve all individuals with hearing loss and speech issues, both adult and pediatric.

The Siegel family offered to build a building at Michael Reese. Michael Resse Hospital requested that a stand-alone clinic be built to house the Henner Center.

The Henner Center becomes the David T. Siegel Institute at Michael Reese Hospital and Dr. Henner partners with renowned researcher Lazlo Stein to continue to advance its mission.

FHSR adapts to the changing times and strategically steers the organization forward into a new decade. This period also marks the start of a multi-year process to migrate the programs from Michael Reese to Northwestern University.

Siegel Institute programs are formally established at Northwestern University.

FHSR makes the decision to support critical medical research 1990, beginning with support for Dr. Nina Krause through seed funding to establish her laboratory at Northwestern University and her Auditory research. Dr. Krause has since gone on to be one of the top researchers in the world in Auditory related issues.

The Illinois Legislation passes the Hearing Screening for Newborns Act requiring all hospitals to conduct hearing screening of all newborn infants. If a child fails the screening they are referred for additional hearing screening.

A focus on Pediatric hearing loss.

FHSR Partners with Children’s Memorial Hospital now renamed the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago to support Dr. Nancy Young’s Audiology Department and Cochlear Implant clinic.

Creation of the Hart Family Cochlear Implant Education Coordinator position

Cheers for Ears – started the free family concert series to encourage music appreciation for children with hearing loss

Lurie Children’s Move for the Kids: FHSR participates in the inaugural 5K walk celebrating the move from the original location of Children’s Memorial Hospital of Chicago in Lincoln Park to the new hospital in the Streeterville neighborhood. In moving to the new facility, FHSR was honored to have 5 of the 7 new state of the art sound testing booths named in its honor.

FHSR A Night of Service honors the dedicated Board Directors with a reception to highlight their years of service. Honored that night were Pat Livingston, whose parents were founding members of FHSR and Louise Hart who has sat on the Board for over 50 years. In addition, Carey Gelfand who served as Chair for over 10 years and Jim Borovsky who has been a Director for over 25 years.

Thanks to funding by FHSR the CHS Read Literacy Program is expanded to support deaf /hard of hearing children in Central and Southern Illinois.

FHSR commemorates the Foundation’s 60th Anniversary by announcing the Music To My Ears Scholarship Program with a series of fundraising events over the next 12 months.

In 2020 FHSR expanded the music program to include individual instrument lessons along with classroom and after school music programming in two Chicagoland deaf/hard of hearing schools.

FHSR launches the year of Education. Resources, Advocacy (EARs) programs with the creation of a FHSR Education Coordinator position, Early Literacy training programs for DHH professionals, a book scholarship program and a parent focused literacy training.