“It all began with several discussions over breakfast at the ASHA convention in Cincinnati in 1957. As a consequence of these informal discussions, these folks decided the time had come to explore the feasibility of establishing an organization for speech pathologists and audiologists in Virginia.” (Ralph J. Stoudt, Jr., A Modest Proposal: An address delivered at the 40th anniversary of SHAV in Charlottesville, VA March 20, 1998). On January 11, 1958, 12 speech correctionists and audiologists met in Richmond to discuss the possible organization of a state speech and hearing association. The result of this meeting was to set up an organizational meeting to be held on March 29, 1958 at UVA. Twenty-five members of the profession attended this organizational meeting, a few graduate students, and “two distinguished invited guests, Dr. Kenneth O. Johnson, and Dr. Wendell Johnson.” There was a unanimous decision to organize a state association in Virginia, consistent with ASHA guidelines, and to draft a constitution and bylaws in time for presentation at the first official association meeting. On October 18, 1958, the first meeting of SHAV was held at the Richmond Academy of Medicine. The meeting included a professional program, election of officers, and adoption of the constitution and bylaws.

In April 1959, enrollment of 41 Charter Members was completed, and dues were $3.00 per year for Fellows and Professional members, and $1.00 for Associates. At that time there was $101.57 in our account. The first Journal of the Speech and Hearing Association of Virginia was published in 1960. The Fall 1960 Journal announced that SHAV had been approved for affiliation with ASHA and would be represented (with 22 other states) in the first ASHA House of Delegates, when it met in Los Angeles in November 1960.

By 1970, the association was contemplating licensure for Virginia audiologists and speech-language pathologists.  An Act Licensing speech pathologists and audiologists in the Commonwealth of Virginia, as passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Linwood Holton in March 1972. Of note, some historians state Florida was the first state with licensure, but at that time, FL only required Registration, not licensure. Per Henry Creech, Ph.D. and Nancy O’Hare, Ph.D., we were the first state to be licensed in the nation, and the 3 other states licensed in 1972, came after Virginia’s licensure law.

The Communication Disorders Foundation of Virginia (CDF) was founded in 1985. The Foundation began as a committee of the Speech-Language-Hearing Association of Virginia (SHAV) with the purpose of raising and awarding scholarship funds for graduate studies in the field of communication disorders. The CDF was founded based on a challenge put forth to the Executive Board to do something to help students with the high cost of education, and was formed to administer scholarships to deserving students.