Marion Downs, DHS Born 1914 Inducted 2006 Adopted by the Marion Downs Hearing Center at the University of Colorado Hospital Marion Downs fought tirelessly throughout her career for hearing screening in newborns, and for early intervention for those found to have hearing problems. Downs directed the audiology program at the University of Denver from 1951 to 1959. There, along with Doreen Pollack, she initiated the practice of fitting hearing aids on infants by the age of six months, on the theory that the earlier the remediation and prevention, the better would be the functioning. This practice was reported at a time when most children did not receive aids until three years of age. Scientific neurological reports later confirmed their theory. In 1959, Downs became a member of the faculty of the University of Colorado School of Medicine, where she investigated behavioral responses of newborns to sound. Her report in 1964 introduced the possibilities of newborn screening. She then suggested the formation of a National Joint Committee on Infant Screening and chaired the committee in its first years. This multi-professional committee has been responsible for promoting the methodologies of screening and follow-up. Research by Dr. Christine Yoshinaga-Itano of the University of Colorado validated the need for early intervention, and soon the screening occurred in all 50 states. In her generation of professionals in the field of audiology, Downs served a unique leadership role. She has published over 150 articles in professional journals, chapters in medical and audiological books, and has co-authored the books Hearing in Children, Auditory Disorders in School Children, and Congenital Deafness. The Institute on Hearing and Deafness is named for Downs at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. The Institute promotes her lifelong dream of a center that provides every service for ear and hearing problems under one roof, for those from birth to old age. At 92, Downs continues an active life of tennis, skiing, and keeping up with 22 great-grandchildren. Click here to view a video interview with Marion Downs as part of our Oral History Project.
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