State House Honors Washoe and CWU Researchers

February 21, 2008

OLYMPIA, Wash. - The House of Representatives adopted a resolution Friday, Feb. 22, 2008, honoring Washoe, a chimpanzee who was the first non-human to acquire a human language, American Sign Language. The resolution also recognizes the work of Dr. Roger and Deborah Fouts, co-directors of the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute (CHCI) at Central Washington University. Washoe died Oct. 30, 2007, at the age of 42 after a brief illness.

Reps. Judy Warnick (R-Moses Lake) and Bill Hinkle (R-Cle Elum) sponsored House Resolution 4672 to honor Washoe's contribution to communication research and the dedication of researchers to chimpanzees around the world.

"We wanted to recognize the unique achievements of Washoe, who not only learned human communication but also taught us to think differently about chimpanzees and taught her chimp family American Sign Language as well," said Warnick. "We also wanted to thank Roger and Debbi for their incredible dedication to Washoe and her family, and to their accomplishments in communication research."

"Washoe made people think differently about communication among living things," said Hinkle. "She had a huge impact on not only the people in our district, but visitors and researchers around the world."

Washoe came from West Africa where she was being used for research in the U.S. space program. She began learning American Sign Language in 1966, in Washoe County, Nevada. At the invitation of CWU, the Foutses came to Ellensburg in 1980 and created a sanctuary for Washoe and her family, Tatu, Loulis, and Dar.

"CWU offered us an opportunity to create a peaceful environment for Washoe and her family and where we could continue to explore chimpanzee-human communications," said Dr. Fouts. "We're very thankful, too, for the support of the Legislature, which helped us provide a facility that truly meets the unique needs of chimpanzees and communications research."

In 1990, the Washington State Legislature approved $1.5 million to aid construction of a facility to accommodate the needs of the chimps and the education mission of CHCI. Until the construction of the facility in 1993, Washoe and her family were housed in a cramped primate lab in the Department of Psychology. The new facility created a better habitat for the chimpanzees and enabled school groups and the public to see what the institute was accomplishing.

The Washoe Project has yielded research used to help children with communications disorders-the deaf, the autistic and the mentally handicapped. The Foutses continue to promote and develop humane research methods at CWU, where they also established the non-profit organization Friends of Washoe, dedicated to the welfare of chimpanzees.

The resolution will now be transmitted from the chief clerk of the House to the Foutses and other researchers at Central Washington University.

Media Contact:
Teri Olin, CWU Public Relations & Marketing, olint@cwu.edu, 509-963-1416

Central Washington University is a master's degree-granting institution with approximately 10,000 students and 1,500 faculty and staff. More than 160 undergraduate and master's degrees are offered. Founded in 1891, the Ellensburg campus is located in the heart of Washington State, nestled between the Cascade Mountains and the Columbia River. Since 1975, CWU has served the needs of place bound students at six university centers throughout the state. CWU is an AA/EEO Title IX Institution.