Hey everyone!
We just wanted to make a post to let everyone have as reference for more in depth facts and accomplishments of our historical figures!

Laurent Clerc: (1785-1869)

·      Born December 26^th, 1785 in La Blame-les Grottes, France.

·      He came from a family of royalty.

·      His father, Joseph was the mayor of their village and his mother’s father was a magistrate in another town.

o   Overall, his family knew and practiced law.

·      At age one, fell from his high chair into the kitchen fireplace.

o   Right cheek severely burned

o   Fever

o   Senses of hearing and smell were damaged

·      His name-sign comes from the scar on his right cheek from there to his mouth.

·      His parents tried different treatments to restore his hearing.

·      The next 11 years, he stayed home tending to their farm.

·      He did not go to school or learn to write.

o   Once he was deaf, he did not have an educator or a mode of communication.

·      At age 12, he was sent to the institut National des Jeune Sourds-Muets, the first public school for the deaf in the world.

·      Abbe Margaron tried teaching him to pronounce words.

o   He had difficulty and resulted in receiving a violent blow under the chin.  

§  This caused him to swear he would never speak again.

§  This gave him the belief that signing is the best method of communication for deaf students.

·     In London, Thomas Gallaudet was introduced to Clerc.

o   This is when he was invited to attend their classes at the Institution in Paris and he accepted.

·      Clerc gave private lessons to Gallaudet and became his “master teacher”

o   This caused him to ask Clerc to come with him to America to establish a school of the deaf there. He was 28 years old.

·      In 1816, Clerc and Gallaudet left for America on a voyage that lasted 52 days.

o   Gallaudet taught Clerc the English language and Clerc taught him signs.

·      The day they arrived in Hartford, CT. He met Alice Cogswell this same day.

o   They communicated with sign association. This motivated him more.

·      Through speeches from October 1816-April 1817, speeches were delivered and brought thousands of dollars to support the foundation of building a new school.

·      On April 15, 1817, the American School for the Deaf opened for seven students with rented rooms.

o   Gallaudet was the principal, Clerc was the head teacher.

o   Students filled the school within a year and ages ranged from 10-51 years old.

·      Clerc later went to Washington D.C in 1818, to gather support from Congress.

o   Here, he was introduced to President James Monroe and applauded for his work.

·      In 1819 he became the first deaf individual to address the Connecticut legislature.  

·      In 1822, he was invited to be the acting principal of the Pennsylvania Institution.

·      He taught for 50 years in 41 states.

·      He retired in 1858 but remained an advocate for education.

·      In June 1864, at age 79 he was the guest of honor at the inauguration of the National Deaf-Mute college, now known as Gallaudet University.

·      On July 18, 1869, he passed away.

Anne Sullivan: (1866-1936)

·      Born April 14^th, 1866 in Feeding Hills, Massachusetts

o   Parents were poor, illiterate Irish immigrants.

o   Mother frail, suffering from tuberculosis

o   Father was unskilled and an alcoholic

·      In her early years she was unschooled and nearly blind from untreated trachoma by age seven

o   Mother died when she was 8

o   Father was abusive

o   Two years later he abandoned his family

·      On Feb 22, 1876 Anne and her brother Jimmie were sent to the state almshouse in Tewksbury, Massachusetts.

·      Her brother died a short time later, and she spent four years at Tewksbury until she plead to leave and enroll in the Perkins School for the Blind in Boston, Massachusetts.

·      At Perkins in 1880, she finally began her academic education

o    quickly learned to read and write.

o   She learned to use the manual alphabet to communicate with a friend who was deafblind.

·      She had many successful eye operations while at Perkins, which improved her sight significantly.

·      She graduated from Perkins in 1886 as valedictorian.

·      The Keller family offered her to come to Tuscumbia, Alabama to tutor their deaf, blind and mute daughter Helen.

·      In March of 1887 she began her lifelong role as Helen Keller’s beloved teacher.

·      She taught Helen for 13 years

o   Accompanied her to Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1900 where Helen went to Radcliffe College.

o   Went with Helen to every class, spelling into her hand all lectures, demonstrations, assignments.

o   Helen received bachelor of arts degree.

·      Met John Albert Macy at Radcliffe and fell in love

o   Married on May 3, 1905

o   Separated 1914

·      Spent years after living in Wrentham, Massachusetts and then in Forest Hills with Helen and Polly Thomson.

·      1916- Annes health began to weaken

o   Incorrectly diagnosed as having tuberculosis

o   Ordered to recuperate at Lake Placid – Polly went with her

o   They soon left Lake Placid for the warmer climate of Puerto Rico

o   Returned to Forest Hills when US entered WWI

·      The three women traveled widely in the US and after WWI, other countries.

o   They gave lectures, performances, and appeared in a film titled “Deliverance”

·      1924: Anne and Helen began to work for the American Foundation for the Blind as advocates, counselors and fundraisers.

·      1930-1931: Temple University in Philadelphia, PA wished to recognize Anne and Helens achievements with honorary degrees. Anne accepted the honor.

·      1936: Died at home in Forest Hills, NY on Oct. 20 at the age of seventy.