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God Knows His Name: The True Story of John Doe No. 24

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that not that long ago in this country someone was found wandering the streets and there were no means to identify him. How sad that someone had raised him for 16 years and then "lost" him. This is a story about one man's dignity. Unlike a lot of stories involving institutions, it seems as though John encountered an awful lot of caring people employed at these places. I find it interesting that although he learned to communicate with others, he never discussed his past or gave any real clues as to his beginnings.

It's a well written book about a sad subject. I recommend it.

On October 11, 1946, a black boy of indeterminate age was found wandering the streets of Jacksonville, Illinois. When police discovered he was deaf, mute, and suspected to be retarded, he was sent to the Lincoln State School and Colony, a state facility that bore little resemblance to its name. Had he been permitted to stay at the School for the Deaf, his life would have been completely different, but that school was not permitted to take retarded people.
The Lincoln School was a self-contained city having a farm with price-winning cattle and a dairy processing plant. It generated its own power and returned thousands of dollars to the state treasury, thanks to the free labor provided by the residents (really inmates). These people varied from the very severely retarded to those of borderline intelligence. The place was vastly overcrowded, and the pecking order among residents was often established violently.
John Doe, as he was called since they were unable to identify him at all, was given an I.Q. test, but much like any test, if you don't understand the value or importance of the test, there will be little incentive to do well, even assuming you can understand what is expected of you. A special test was used that had been designed for the deaf, but the examiner had difficulty conveying the purpose and instructions for the various tests that were disguised as games or puzzles. John's deafness and inexperience were a huge impediment, and, not surprisingly, he scored very low on the test. This result was to haunt him for years to come. After several unsuccessful escape attempts, John gradually adapted to his surroundings. He had no known relatives so there was no one to claim him nor to send him packages or money that might help alleviate his situation.
By the mid-sixties, thanks in part to JFK's commitment to improving conditions and education for the mentally retarded and an Illinois commission, facilities and conditions were improving at the Lincoln School. John Doe had now been there close to two decades. Unfortunately, it was also the time of Chlorpromazine that the psychiatric profession had discovered could turn unruly or violent patients into virtually catatonic, but untroublesome, individuals. It soon became the drug of choice for nearly everyone in an institution. Despite regular doses, John was becoming one of the best students in the ASL class that had been started for the deaf residents. He became a trustee and was placed in charge of several other patients, helping them to dress and to get ready for the day.
By 1973 the side effects of the drugs began to manifest themselves and John was inflicted with diabetes and glaucoma. In 1975, the Lincoln School was converted into a state prison, and John was sent to the Jacksonville Developmental Center. He was now totally blind, but thanks to a few dedicated individuals, his talents were recognized and he was sent to the Helen Keller School. This provided him with the skills he needed to subsequently live in a series of group homes.
He died a few years later, but to this day no one has still been able to track down his identity.

This was truly one of the most inspirational books that I have ever read. It is the true story of an unfortunate man who was discovered in an alley back in 1945. Unable to hear or to speak, he was written off as "severely retarded" and made a ward of the state. His story, as much as we can know, begins here.

He spent many years in a supposed "institution" that was little more than a warehouse for the mentally ill, a place filled with misery and despair. In spite of all this, he had a profound effect on those who got to know him and proved just how strong the human spirit can really be. A kind and gentle man who survived a living hell for many years, and still found a way to smile, to laugh, and to feel love for those who showed him true kindness.

I highly recommend this story, it is one I feel certain will touch many hearts.

This is an incredible story of a deaf man who was found wandering the streets of Jacksonville, IL and subsequently institutionalized at Lincoln State School and Colony. It is an easy-to-read account that tells about all of the horrors and abuses that John Doe No. 24 endured and the way he survived it all. When he also went blind, he was almost totally disconnected from he world. Yet, somehow, he maintained a sense of humor and enjoyed the simple things of life.

Anyone interested in the beginning of what is now called "Special Education" should read this book. Highly recommended.

A very interesting story and topic best summed up by Mary Chapin Carpenter herself when she penned the words in her song that she included on John Doe 24's tombstone, "Well there's no doubt that life's a mystery, but so too is the human heart." I would suggest that many readers are drawn to this book through Mary Chapin Carpenter. For those that are, you are apt to find a 'Lewis' that is different than the one you may have envisioned since you first heard Ms. Carpenter's haunting melody. In many ways it is hard to distinguish the human being that lives inside this deaf and mute body. It is difficult to read because it tears us from the comfort of our own 'perfect' lives.

The song apart, I learned a great deal about the history of institutional care through the journey that Lewis stumbles into in 1945. The picture is not pretty. Still, it is important to understand that institutional culture does exist in America. Having read this book, I am now compelled to learn where it is today with the hope that it has improved dramatically since the events I read in Mr. Bakke's book.

Not a particularly 'fun' book to read, but one that should be on your list.

Mr. Bakke has written a riveting book about a nearly unbelievable life. The reader is rapt by the circumstances 'Mr. Doe' meets at every turn, and Mr. Bakke has penned his words in a way that allows the reader to feel something of the feelings Mr. Doe must have experienced. The story told by the book is at once heartrending and hopeful; Mr. Doe is 'trapped' in 'the system,' but he is often shown mercy by compassionate people who even now deserve to be honored for their efforts.

One question remained when I had finished the book: Why did no one---the police, a social worker, ANYBODY---allow Mr. Doe to take them back down the trail he had traveled? Let him be a passenger in a car, pointing his way back to his place of origin?

Great book, though. I'd recommend it for almost anyone of any age. THANK YOU, MR. BAKKE, for showing us the twists and turns of this lost human riddle.

This book must be read for two reasons. One, it is simply a GOOD READ - the author, Mr. Bakke did a great job of story telling (great writing!). Two, John Doe, or Lewis as I prefer to think of him...DESERVES to have his story known. Lewis exhibited great basic human caring and intellect that was often over-looked because of his inability to communicate. We take for granted that our learning (to take instructions) is just common sense - all you have to do is look at another culture to know that is not true.
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It's also a must read for anyone who drinks the kool-aid and thinks that our country is so perfect that we don't need any change. :-) Fortunately, many of the atrocities that Lewis/John suffered have been addressed by the hero's Mr. Bakke mentioned in his book, those who made a difference in the care of the mentally disabled.
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Be prepared for raw truths. All people are born with the same basic homo-sapien genetic makeup. It's culture that makes us separate from other peoples. In this case, imagine, if you will, you have no form of communications, (with those around you who have already been well indoctrinated in American/St.Louis, 1945, culture) by the age of age 16. You will have never learned of boundaries and simple common sense. Boundaries and common sense are traits we, the hearing, do not realize are not inherit in our genes but learned as we grow in our culture. The deaf (and I have deaf parents and grew up in Jacksonville, IL) even when given the tools of communications at an early appropriate age - still have an entirely different set of boundaries than the hearing. In Lewis/John's case, the boundaries were even less defined since he was never taught communications in his early tender learning years. Remember this when you read the book.