The Northern Family Legacy

The Northern family has a strong multi-generation heritage in the world of education for the deaf/hard-of-hearing. This legacy began more than a century ago at Gallaudet with Thomas Y. Northern, Class of 1902, and his wife, Edna Drumm Northern, Class of 1904. Their daughter, Mabel Northern Finnell, graduated from Gallaudet University with an M.A. in Deaf Education, (Class of 1934). Her career spanned more than 40 years teaching deaf students in Kansas and California. Jerry L. Northern, grandson of T.Y. and Edna, graduated from Gallaudet University with a M.S. degree in Deaf Education, (Class of 1963). Jerry Northern earned additional graduate degrees in audiology at the University of Denver (M.A.) and a Ph.D. in 1966 at the University of Colorado. Jerry Northern led an illustrious career in audiology for nearly 60 years. Jerry’s daughter, Amy Northern Hardie, earned a M.Ed. degree in Deaf Education at Lewis and Clark College in Portland in 1992. With more than 20 years’ experience, Amy is currently Education Director at the H.O.P.E. Pre-School for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing children in Spokane, WA. The Hardies assimilated profoundly deaf toddler into their daily family activities for nearly 13 years. The Northern Family lineage was further extended to five generations when Amy’s daughter, Lauren Hardie Seppi, worked as an instructional assistant at the Listen and Talk pre-school in Seattle while attending college. 

An endowment was established at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. by Jerry and Deborah Northern in 2023. The fund is a tribute to the Northern’s multi-generational involvement in working with the deaf/Hard-of-hearing. Annual proceeds from the fund are presented each year to the graduating AuD Outstanding Audiology Student Clinician selected by the Gallaudet University Audiology Department faculty.