Cover next page > title: Seeing Language in Sign : The Work of William C. Stokoe author

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Page children grew older Ruth became more involved in her work as a volunteer docent at the National Gallery in Washington.
Stokoe would regularly rush from campus to pick her up or drop her off.
Ruth did not become involved in her husband's work at Gallaudet; she never learned to sign, for example. But Stokoe preferred it that way. He liked having someone with whom he could share his other interests and relax, without reliving the politics and the problems. But when he did feel the need to complain, particularly during the period when he was voted out as chairman of the English Department, "she was a perfect listener to my woes . . . fully sympathetic and supportive" 41
Stokoe's years at the lab, from 1970 until he retired in 1984, were exciting for both him and his wife. His fame was spreading,
and he was invited to address linguistic audiences allover the world. He was in such demand as a speakerand as a spokesmanfor the recognition and use of American Sign Language, that he and Ruth often were unable to get home between speaking engagements. Ina letter written in June of 1975 thanking one of his hosts fora rich, satisfying symposium" Stokoe apologized for being unable to recall his reimbursable expenses in detail, saying, "I've just done the accounting for five trips with different details since May 10th."42 During his time at the lab, in addition to being published in journals such as Approaches to Semiotics
and Current Anthropology, Stokoe accepted invitations to lecture at more than thirty-five locations in the United States, Mexico,
Israel, the Netherlands, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, and Germany.
When Stokoe was in town, the lab was not simply a place for research. Harlan Lane remembers "being welcomed thereby him very warmly on several occasions. A lot of interesting people nested there and some colorful people were usually passing through on their way to or from an exotic place."43
The Linguistics Research Laboratory was nothing less than an international clearinghouse for the best and brightest in sign language research. Things happened in that lab that could not have happened anywhere else. Lane recalls the prestige Bill
Stokoe brought to Gallaudet through his work "During the years that I was a member of the National Science Foundation

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