The origin of Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children is the story of a mother's love for her child. Dela and John White's daughter, Tuleta, was born in 1944 with a profound hearing loss. The Whites believed she could learn to talk and, as an adult, function independently in society-at-large. However, at that time no local schools taught hearing-impaired children to speak.

Only in her early 20s and new to education and hearing impairment, Mrs. White enlisted the support of various individuals and organizations, and founded what has grown into an internationally respected auditory/oral school.

As World War II had just ended, organizations were eager to contribute to San Antonio's growth and well-being. The Junior League of San Antonio adopted Sunshine Cottage as a project and was instrumental in its opening, by lending financial, volunteer and moral support.

For a schoolhouse, Mrs. White procured the caretaker's cottage of Landa Library, near Trinity University. With the elbow grease of parents and other volunteers, it became usable; a local paint store supplied free paint, all yellow. Hence it was dubbed Sunshine Cottage.

The school of seven children and one teacher quickly grew and needed a larger home. At a single dinner party community leaders, learning how well Sunshine Cottage students were progressing, raised enough money to break ground on the school that stands today. The new building was completed in 1952. In both 1957 and 1985, expansions to the school were made.