Emil Benedict Fries

GEDCOM Note

Quoted from a review of Emil's book:</line><line /><line>But You Can Feel It; It is more than an autobiography. In this book, Emil Fries discusses philosophies and methods of education, child rearing of and by the visually handicapped, philosophies of vocational training and methods of securing employment by and for the visually handicapped, discrimination against the visually handicapped, and changes in both education of and welfare programs for the visually handicapped. His observations span more than 100 years of family history, and over 70 years of the history of education for the blind. Emil begins his book by recounting many, many experiences he and his family had from before his birth to the time he left for the Washington State School for the Blind, 1917. There is a very homey touch to his accounts of his many chores, of family traditions and of experiences common to young boys growing up on ranches. During his first school year in Eastern Washington, where he was born of immigrant Danish parents, he was sent home because he couldn't function in the bright school room in the winter when the glare from the snow caused him extreme discomfort. He had a five year vacation from school, during which he became his father's main assistant on the ranch. He was successful in his chores by learning to compensate for his poor vision. He learned to detect differences in the pitches of cow bells so that he wouldn't herd in another rancher's cattle. He learned to imitate a calf in distress to bring the cows, by their maternal instincts, to him. Since he couldn't see well enough to shoot, he didn't carry a gun, but counted on Sport, his dog and constant companion, to help him kill various pests. In fact, Sport protected Emil several times when his lack of vision got him into potentially dangerous situations. Up to this time, Emil had had three pair of prescription glasses, none of which improved his vision. He also suffered from wild hairs that grew on the inside of his eyelids and had to be removed by the doctor in town, a frequent and painful ordeal. This problem was eliminated by Petitt's Eye Salve, sold by a Raleigh salesman, for which this salesman got a free dinner and feed for his team. When Emil was 15, his father became clerk of the North Star school board, and discussed with the new teacher what could be done to further Emil's education. The new teacher agreed to seat Emil near the front and to help him individually at the blackboard, where he could write as large as he needed to see. This help, coupled with his memorization of the other student's; recitations, yielded only a mediocre education. By this time he was 16, and couldn't catch up with the others at this late date and without more specialized help. The county supervisor became aware of his disability and contacted the Washington State School for the Blind. Subsequently, Emil applied and was accepted there. It was not generally known about in those days, even though it had been established since 1886 as a school for "Defective Youth---the Deaf, the Blind and the Feeble-Minded"; Clark County's remoteness, lack of communication technology, and few rail lines kept this school from public knowledge throughout much of the State. While at W.S.B., Emil gained an academic education, became active socially, and trained in the vocation of piano tuning. His tuning instructor, Walter Dry, became his close friend and mentor. When Emil graduated, Dr. Dry offered him a position as his assistant. Though Emil wanted to go to the University and study law, he accepted this position since he didn't have the funds to begin university at that time. He held this post for three years. During this time, he gained valuable experience in teaching and in piano tuning, hitchhiking from town to town in eastern Washington during summers to tune pianos for his college fund. The many experiences he recounted from this time were interesting, and taught him a great deal about life in general and about his trade. The three years as teaching assistant sparked his interest in education for the blind, so when he finally set off for college, it was to gain a degree in education, not law. He earned his way through university by tuning pianos. After graduating, he married, and then was offered the teaching position being vacated by Dr. Dry, his former teacher, who had accepted the position of Superintendent of the Oregon School for the Blind. Emil held this post for 19 years, developing it into a nationally known vocational program, and refining his philosophies of education and tactics for placing his graduates in positions with piano manufacturers, piano stores, and in private business. In 1933, "The Blind in School and Society"; was published by Dr. Thomas D. Cutsforth. Emil attributes this publication with changing the attitudes of many regarding the education of the blind, one major result being that many were encouraged to attend university, when a vocational course was really what they needed and from which they could benefit most. Gradually, the enthusiasm by W.S.B.'s administration for the piano course dimmed, and students were advised against enrolling in it, being told it was just one step above begging, and it was to be shunned as a stereotypical vocation for blind people. Finally, it was discontinued. Emil was offered a job at Clark College establishing a piano tuning course, but, though the salary was higher than he presently earned, decided not to take this offer for several reasons: He would have lost the respect of piano tuners in the area because he would be allowed to charge only the school's costs in tuning client's pianos with his students, robbing fellow tuner's business, as well as business from his own private clientle; he would have to teach the sighted and blind simultaneously, which he considers a great disadvantage, and a sell-put to the blind, since the methods he would use for the sighted and the blind would conflict and cause the weakening of the program, and there were many piano tuning schools open to the sighted, but very few open to the blind; his sighted graduates would almost certainly be hired in every position he sought to secure for the student, rather than the position going to any of his blind students. Clearly, he was committed to training the blind, and guiding the blind into good employment. As a result of these developments, in 1949 the Emil Fries Piano Hospital and Training Center was established. In the last part of the book, he recounts the history of this school, and the implementation of his management and teaching philosophies. He closes the book with a description of his blindness and some of its implications, a tribute to his two wives and oldest sister, who kept his home and supported him at different times, and reflections on his life and experiences. It is interesting to me that, though his blindness determined to a great extent his opportunities in life, he left it until the end of his book to discuss it in any detail, at which time he reveals the medical name for his condition as ambiatrophy. Though he had vision as a boy, it was like a thick fog, which gradually closed in to the point where he lost his central vision, then gradually his peripheral vision, but was not left in darkness. A bright yellow light occupies his vision, which he reduces by wearing dark slip-on glasses as well as a visor. In spite of his poor vision, Emil did not use a cane until the 1950's; in fact, orientation and mobility was not taught in the schools until after the Second World War. Above his autograph in this copy of his book, Mr. Fries placed a printed sticker stating, "My greatest break was learning piano servicing". I believe two factors enabled him to recognize and take advantage of this break: his parents esteem for him, and his attitude toward life. His family didn't realize he was visually impaired until his vacation from school. The simplicity of life for a child, combined with his adaptive behavior, enabled him to function well until that time. Because his parents were ignorant of his special needs, they didn't make allowances for him. He was expected to perform age-appropriate chores, teaching him self-confidence by trial and error and then success, dependability by others counting on him in all areas of running the ranch, and establishing in his mind his adequacy and worth as a valuable, contributing member of the family. Even after his visual problems were apparent, he was expected to compensate in order to continue to contribute to family life. This was a wise move on his parent's part because it taught him industry, and to be part of the mainstream of society as he was in his large family. The title of his book is a quote of his mother's from an incident in which she helped him learn to compensate for his lack of vision. If blindisms are begun because lack of visual or mental stimulation, or lack of physical activity, Emil had a good environment in which to avoid these, being involved completely in the life and chores of a farm boy. He doesn't mention any blindisms he had to break, and I assume he didn't develop any, or at least to any marked degree, as that might have been an indication to his family of his vision problems. The fact that his mother required eye contact with all her children during conversation instilled in him a socially-important habit many blind and visually impaired don't develop. Early in the book, Emil recounts a conversation he had with his mother on a visit home after he had graduated from university. In this conversation, his mother revealed a feeling of guilt because of Emil's congenital blindness, to which he replied, "Believe me, Mama, I would not trade my early schooling, my tuning skills, and my college education for Jacob's good eyes and the whole ranch thrown in. Without my handicap, nine chances to ten, I would be stuck in this little valley like (his brothers). The weak eyes God gave me have opened doors". It is this outlook that explains Mr. Fries' motivations and successes related throughout the book. Rather than choosing to be a self-pitying man who sought favors and special treatment, he sought to turn his weakness to his advantage and to compete on the open job market, to involve himself fully in the sighted world. There is much more in this book to which I could respond. I'm glad I read the book, for several reasons. Not only did I gain an introduction to the history of vocational education in this area, and a heightened understanding of some of the implications of blindness. I also learned about many of the factors that contribute to healthy adjustment by the blind to the mainstream of life, and the remarkable contribution to the blind and sighted community by a remarkable man.</line><line />