Lottie Louise Riekehof

Lottie Louise Riekehof (August 13, 1920 – August 6, 2020) was an American Sign Language interpreter, author, and a pioneer in the field of professional sign language interpreting. She wrote one of the first curriculums for interpreter educators, and trained interpreters and interpreter educators all over the world.

Biography

Early life U.S. President Gerald Ford, Robert Griffin, Pamela Young, Ann Billington Bahl, Lottie Louise Riekehof in the Oval office, Apr.1976, presenting the sign language pin saying "I love you"

Lottie Riekehof was born 1920 in Germany to Henry and Laura Riekehof, and was the oldest of four children. In 1923, Riekehof, with her parents and younger sister, Ruth, immigrated from Lage, North Rhine-Westphalia to Elizabeth, New Jersey. After settling, her two younger brothers Henry and Paul were born.

Career About 1945, Riekehof started working at Calvary Gospel Church in Washington D.C., working as a missionary overseeing a home for Christian women and as a musician.

From a deaf woman she met at Calvary, she began learning American Sign Language (ASL) a few signs a week.

Around 1949, she went to the Central Bible College (CBC) to work for her bachelor's degree.

She interpreted for deaf students and already taught CBC sign language classes. Her students were preparing to become missionaries, full-time ministers, and interpreters for deaf people in hearing churches.

In 1970, Riekehof returned to Gallaudet College to give sign language courses to graduate students preparing for deaf education. Again, these were the first such courses offered for credit,

In 1987, Riekehof became interim chair of the department of communication arts at Gallaudet.

Books Riekehof knew the resources for learning sign language were extremely limited which led her to write her first book in 1961 called American Sign Language. It was published privately by Wayne Shaneyfelt who was a former student of hers.