KNOXVILLE–The Hearing and Speech Center Building on the University of Tennessee campus will be named for Dr. Bernie Silverstein and Dr. Hal Luper, two local pioneers in the field. A building dedication ceremony is set for 3 p.m. on April 12 at the building at 1600 Peyton Manning Pass.
Dr. Silverstein was the founding director of the East Tennessee Hearing and Speech Center. As the first professional speech-language pathologist in the East Tennessee area, he was instrumental in building the clinical foundation for UT’s nationally recognized department of audiology and speech pathology, founded in 1962.
Dr. Silverstein was known to local television audiences for his educational children’s program, “Stop! Look! And Listen.” The program, which was nominated for a Peabody Award, was provided as a public service through the university’s department of broadcasting and WBIR-TV.
Dr. Harold Luper was head of the department of audiology and speech pathology from 1963-1986. He became director of the Hearing and Speech Center in 1966 when the center merged with the department. During his tenure, the first doctoral degrees were awarded and new clinical programs such as the UT Hospital Clinic, the Neuropathology program, and the Pediatric Language Clinic were added.
The Hearing and Speech Center celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2003.
Dr. Joseph E. Johnson will preside at the ceremony, which will include remarks from Chancellor Loren Crabtree, Dr. Stuart Riggsby, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and Judge C. Howard Bozeman, former board member of the East Tennessee Hearing and Speech Association.