World congress
unites groups

Fraser honored in medieval setting

Mark Irwin

In May, the International Stuttering Association, the umbrella organization representing 45 self-help groups throughout the world, held its 8th World Congress for people who stutter.

The event was held in Cavtat, a picturesque coastal town on the southern tip of the Republic of Croatia. Delegates from 43 countries comprised the more than 300 people who stutter, speech pathologists and family and friends who attended this event. A highlight was the Congress gala dinner which was held in the nearby medieval town of Dubrovnik. It was the scene of formal speeches and awards including the presentation of the ISA's Outstanding Contribution Award to the SFA's Jane Fraser.

In presenting the award to Fraser, Melvin Hoffman of ISA said, "No one has done more to further the cause of helping those who stutter."

"It is a thrill to receive this award that recognizes our work on behalf of those who struggle daily with stuttering," Fraser said.

The first honorary lifetime members of the ISA are Fraser and Judith Kuster, of Minnesota State University, Mankato, and creator of the Stuttering Home Page, www.stutteringhomepage.com.

Following this event, there can be no doubt that the world has advanced in its understanding of stuttering as well as strengthening the bonds of international cooperation.

The next triennial World Congress will be held in Beijing, China, in 2010.

CELEBRITY FOCUS

Dave Taylor

Dave Taylor has been on the Stuttering Foundation's list of Famous People Who Stutter for many years, but probably few people know all of the unique accomplishments of this former hockey great who was born on December 4, 1955, in Levack, Ontario.

Bob Love

The late Bob Love dreamt about being a great public speaker since his early days in Bastrop Louisiana, even though, as a young man, he could barely put two words together, let alone speak a full sentence.

In spite of his severe stuttering disability, Bob Love, the son of a sharecropper, rose to become a Chicago Bulls NBA superstar, whose records were eventually surpassed by Michael Jordan. Throughout his entire athletic career, Bob Love kept his stuttering a secret from the fans who adored him, thinking he could do his “talking” on the basketball court.

Bruce Willis

While the world knows Bruce Willis as an A-list actor, few know that he struggled with stuttering throughout his first 20 years.

Walter Bruce Willis was born in 1955 in West Germany to his German mother, Marlene, and his American GI father, David Willis. The family settled in David’s hometown of Penns Grove, New Jersey in 1957, and the couple has three other children.

Mel Tillis

Mel Tillis, born Lonnie Melvin Tillis, was an influential figure in country music, both as a songwriter and a performer. His journey to fame was marked by overcoming personal challenges, including a stutter that he turned into a defining part of his public persona.

Winston Churchill

Seeking to "remove Winston Churchill's stutter by second guessing the diagnosis" indicates neither a truthful retelling of history nor an informed opinion about a complex speech disorder, say experts in the field of speech-language pathology.

Recent news reports that quote Dr. John Mather, a Washington physician, as saying that Churchill's stutter "is a lie" brought adamant critical response from specialists in the field of stuttering and fluency disorders.

International Stuttering Association

World congress unites groups