California State University, Fresno
Robert Refugio Davila was born in Southern California to Mexican parents who worked in the fields and orchards. After contracting spinal meningitis at age eight, he became deaf. His mother sent him to the California School for the Deaf, originally located in Berkeley, where he excelled.
Dr. Davila learned American Sign Language and English, and after graduating with honors from the California School for the Deaf, he became the first student from an underrepresented group to enroll at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. In 1953, he received a bachelor’s degree in education from Gallaudet, and he later earned a master’s degree in special education from Hunter College in New York City. He would go on to earn his doctoral degree in educational technology from Syracuse University.
Dr. Davila’s professional life has been dedicated to promoting education and advocating for deaf and hard-of-hearing people in the United States and around the world. He began as a high school teacher and later moved into leadership positions in the K-12 educational system. Starting in 1972, he served for 15 years at Gallaudet University in a variety of positions, including professor, college administrator and vice president.
From 1989 to 1993, Dr. Davila served as assistant secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services for the U.S. Department of Education under President George H. W. Bush, managing a budget of nearly $6 billion. He was the first deaf person appointed by a president to a policy position and, in 1992, he became the first deaf person to address an official session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Following his time with the Department of Education, Dr. Davila returned to his work with schools for the deaf. He was a keynote speaker for the Chicano/Latino Commencement Celebration at California State University, Fresno, and he has worked closely with Karen Jensen, founder of the Fresno State Deaf Education Program.
In 2022, Dr. Davila established the Robert R. and Donna E. Davila Endowment in the Silent Garden at Fresno State. The $250,000 endowment supports Spanish-language programming for deaf and hard-of-hearing families in California.
In recognition of his contributions to the Hispanic and deaf communities, the Board of Trustees of the California State University and California State University, Fresno are proud to confer upon Dr. Robert Refugio Davila the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.