On this date in History 48 years ago: An Oscar acceptance speech in sign language

On March 29, 1976, Louise Fletcher accepted an Academy Award for her role in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest."

She had played the memorable role of Nurse Ratched. She made an emotional and unique acceptance speech at the Oscars that year for her best actress award. The actress decided to honor her parents, who were both deaf, by using American Sign Language. Fletcher told the audience:

“I wanted to say thank you for teaching me to have a dream. You are seeing my dream come true.”

Her father, R.C. Fletcher, was an Episcopal priest who had lost his hearing at the age of three. He started more than 40 churches for the deaf throughout the South. Both he and her mother, Estelle, were watching that night. They had met at Gallaudet University. Louise was the second of four children born to the couple. R.C. Fletcher died in 1988.

No one knew that she intended to sign a portion of her speech except for her sister Georgianna who advised her to sign every word that would be used in English to avoid confusion on the part of the hearing audience.

Here is a video of that memorable 1976 acceptance speech: