The idealistic goal that had been set by the WCTS’s founders in 1925 had finally been accomplished it seemed; there was formal recognition that the “retarded,” as they were then being called, could be educated, and legislation to provide for it. The difference was that what had once been quiet inquiry by a clique of scientists in the secluded hills of Northville had become a political movement. There were now organizations of parents and teachers all over America dedicated to the needs of the mentally challenged, and even President John F. Kennedy, whose sister was institutionalized, had become an advocate. More people than ever were interested in learning disability and the questions of how it could be overcome, and they were taking political action. One particularly outstanding graduate of the WCTS, Charles Fobert, served in the Navy and was chosen to be a member of the honor guard in President Kennedy’s funeral.

          Though it is true that the WCTS was home to many important scientific developments over its lifespan, it is important to consider that despite the seemingly bucolic atmosphere apparent in research materials, life for the residents in institutions such as the WCTS was never easy, and as with other such court-ordered houses of custody across the world, abuses were present, and scandals did occur. This, as well as changes in treatment theory in the fields of mental health and special education led most such institutions to close down by the 1990s, and the WCTS itself was one of the first to shut its doors. Nonetheless the WCTS had a remarkable success rate—a statistic presented in the Superintendent’s 1965 Annual Report was that out of over 6,400 total admissions in the school’s 40-year history, only 15 residents ever had to be readmitted.

          WCTS closed in 1974 and was demolished in 1998, though part of the old gatehouse still stands on Sheldon Road north of Five Mile, as well as the ruins of its waterwheel at Hines Drive south of Reservoir.