People in Deaf Education

These are very famous people in Deaf Education. Most of these people are considered Founding Fathers so to speak. They truly laid the foundation for what we have today. Some also brought sign language to the United States and started our journey.

1. Reverend Thomas Gallaudet
   • An American educational philanthropist who founded the first school for the deaf in the United States. Born in Philadelphia, Gallaudet graduated from Yale College in 1805 and later studied theology at Andover. His interest shifted to the education of the deaf, leading him to Europe to learn about teaching methods for the deaf. In France, Gallaudet studied under Abbé Roch-Ambroise Sicard at the French Royal Institute for the Deaf, where he learned the sign method of communication. Upon returning to the U.S. in 1816, he and Laurent Clerc, a deaf instructor, established the American Asylum for Deaf-Mutes in Hartford, Connecticut. The school, supported by a land grant from Congress, became the primary center for training teachers of the deaf for over 50 years.Gallaudet retired from the school in 1830 but continued to contribute to education. He also authored textbooks for children and the deaf, further solidifying his impact on education.
   • https://www.britannica.com/biography/Thomas-Hopkins-Gallaudet 
2. Laurent Clerc
   • Born on December 26, 1785, in a small village near Lyons, France. At age one, he fell into a fire, which resulted in him losing both his hearing and his sense of smell, as well as leaving him with a lifelong scar on the right side of his face. Clerc attended the Royal Institution for the Deaf in Paris, where he excelled in his studies. After graduating, he stayed on as an assistant teacher and eventually became a lead teacher. In 1815, Gallaudet met Clerc in Paris, and they developed a strong working relationship. Gallaudet invited Clerc to come to America to help establish a school for the deaf. Clerc agreed, intending to stay only for a short time. They sailed to the U.S. in 1816, using the voyage to teach each other—Clerc learned English, while Gallaudet learned sign language.  In 1817, they founded the first American school for the deaf in Hartford, Connecticut. Clerc had a major role in teaching not only students but also training educators in deaf education. He played a key role in establishing other schools for the deaf as well. Although he had planned to return to France, Clerc lived the rest of his life in the U.S., retiring in 1858 and passing away on July 18, 1869.
   • https://gallaudet.edu/student-success/tutorial-center/english-center/reading-esl/esl-practice-reading-exercises/biography-of-laurent-clerc/ 
3. Mason F. Cogswell
   • Born on September 28, 1761, in Canterbury, Connecticut. He married Mary Austin Ledyard, and they had five children. When his daughter Alice became deaf at age two, Cogswell played a key role in the establishment of the first permanent school for the deaf in North America (now the American School for the Deaf). He helped raise funds to send Thomas H. Gallaudet to Europe, leading to the creation of the school in 1817, where Alice was the first registered student.
   • https://asdpioneers.com/people/mason-fitch-cogswell/ 
4. Alice Cogswell
   • Alice Cogswell, born in 1805, lost her hearing and speech at age two due to “spotted fever” (likely meningitis). At nine, she met her neighbor Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, who saw her intelligence and began teaching her, though he lacked formal methods for deaf education. Alice’s story was the spark for the development of deaf education in the U.S. and the creation of American Sign Language (ASL). Though she passed away at 25, her legacy endures through the institutions she helped inspire. Statues of Alice and Gallaudet stand as tributes to their pivotal roles in shaping the future for deaf students in America.
   • https://www.startasl.com/alice-cogswell/ 
5. Abbe Sicard
   • Roch-Ambroise Cucurron Abbé Sicard (1742–1822) was a French educator and priest renowned for his pioneering work in the education of the deaf. In 1786, he became the principal of a school for the deaf in Bordeaux, and in 1789, following the death of Abbé de l’Épée, he succeeded him as the head of a prominent school for the deaf in Paris. Sicard initially championed teaching deaf students through sign language, but later in his career, he shifted toward the oral method. His educational methods had a significant influence on Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, contributing to the development of the deaf education in the United States.
   • https://www.britannica.com/biography/Roch-Ambroise-Cucurron-Abbe-Sicard 
   • https://deafhistory.eu/index.php/component/zoo/item/abbe 
6. Amos Kendall
   • In 1856, Kendall was approached by a man seeking donations to establish a school for deaf and blind children in Washington, D.C. Moved by the plight of these children, Kendall petitioned the court to become their legal guardian and donated two acres of his estate, known as Kendall Green, for the establishment of the school. Initially, the school served 12 deaf and six blind students, providing them with much-needed care and education. Kendall’s school, which became the foundation of what is now Gallaudet University, quickly grew. In 1864, Congress granted the institution a charter to operate a collegiate program, which was signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln. This marked the beginning of higher education for the deaf in the United States. In 1864, Congress granted the institution a charter to operate a collegiate program, which was signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln. This marked the beginning of higher education for the deaf in the United States. Kendall’s contributions to education for the deaf and blind had a lasting impact, and the school he founded became a cornerstone of deaf education in America. Gallaudet University, which evolved from Kendall’s original school, remains the world’s only university for deaf and hard-of-hearing students, a testament to Amos Kendall’s vision and dedication to improving the lives of those with disabilities.
   • https://kdes.gallaudet.edu/history-of-kendall/ 
7. Edward Miner Gallaudet
   • The youngest son of Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, who co-founded the American School for the Deaf, Edward grew up immersed in the world of deaf education.  In 1857, he became superintendent of the Columbia Institution for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb and Blind in Washington, D.C., founded by Amos Kendall. Gallaudet successfully lobbied Congress to allow the institution to grant college degrees, which led to its charter being signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln in 1864. Gallaudet served as president of the institution (which later became Gallaudet University) from 1864 until 1910. Throughout his career, Gallaudet was a strong advocate for manualism, promoting the use of sign language in deaf education. He became an international spokesman for this approach, especially after the 1880 Milan Conference on deaf education, where a resolution was passed favoring oralism—teaching deaf students using speech and lip reading. Despite acknowledging the role of oralism, Gallaudet remained a staunch proponent of sign language as an essential tool for deaf education, often clashing with Alexander Graham Bell, who championed oralism.
   • https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edward-Miner-Gallaudet 
8. Alexander Graham Bell
   • On one hand, Bell is celebrated as the inventor of the telephone, a revolutionary achievement that transformed communication. Bell also founded the American Association to Promote the Teaching of Speech to the Deaf, contributing to deaf education by promoting oralism, or speech-based education for the deaf. However, Bell’s views on deafness reveal a darker side of his legacy. He believed that deafness was a curse and a threat to society, fearing that it weakened the social order. Bell supported eugenic ideas, advocating for policies to prevent deaf people from marrying each other, fearing that such marriages would create a “deaf race.” He also proposed eliminating residential schools for the deaf, banning sign language in education, and forbidding deaf teachers from teaching deaf students, with the goal of assimilating deaf individuals into hearing society. 
   • https://www.startasl.com/alexander-graham-bell/ 
9. Samuel Heinicke
   • Samuel Heinicke (1727–1790) was a German educator and advocate of oralism for teaching deaf individuals. After a modest village education, Heinicke joined the army, where he developed a passion for books and languages, studying Latin and French. Inspired by the book *Surdus loquens* (“The Talking Deaf”), Heinicke became interested in educating the deaf. In 1778, Heinicke opened the first public school for deaf education in Germany, advocating for lipreading and speech over the use of sign language. He opposed the sign-based methods of Abbé de l’Epée, favoring oral methods for integrating deaf individuals into society. Heinicke also promoted a phonetic approach to reading and believed that concrete experiences should precede abstract learning. His work had a lasting influence on deaf education in Europe.
   • https://www.britannica.com/biography/Samuel-Heinicke 
10. Charles Michel de l’Epée
    • Abbé Charles-Michel de l’Épée (1712–1789) was a French Catholic priest and pioneering educator known as the “Father of the Deaf.” Around 1750, l’Épée encountered two deaf sisters and became dedicated to teaching them, leading him to devote his life to educating the deaf. In 1771, he established the first free public school for deaf children, the Institut National de Jeunes Sourds de Paris, where he taught students using a standardized sign language that would later evolve into Old French Sign Language. L’Épée’s method was revolutionary as it utilized signs from the deaf community, allowing deaf children to learn French through visual means. His approach spread across Europe, and he founded more than 20 schools for the deaf. L’Épée’s efforts laid the foundation for modern deaf education, and he is celebrated for demonstrating that deaf individuals were fully capable of integrating into society. His legacy continues to influence sign language and deaf culture today. 
    • https://www.startasl.com/abbe-de-lepee/ 
11. Gardiner Greene Hubbard and Mabel
    • Gardiner Greene Hubbard, a prominent lawyer and financier, became deeply involved in the field of deaf education after his daughter, Mabel Gardiner Hubbard, lost her hearing at age five due to scarlet fever. His dedication led him to co-found the Clarke School for the Deaf, where oral education for deaf children was pioneered. In 1872, Alexander Graham Bell met Gardiner when he demonstrated his teaching methods at the school. The following year, Bell became Mabel’s speech instructor, sparking a relationship that grew from teacher and student to lifelong partners. Despite initial hesitation, Bell eventually confessed his love for Mabel, and they married on July 11, 1877. Mabel became a constant source of support and inspiration for Bell, encouraging him to exhibit his telephone invention in the 1876 U.S. Centennial Exhibition, a pivotal moment that launched his career. Together, they shared a deep intellectual connection, and Mabel played a key role in many of Bell’s endeavors, including the founding of the Bell Telephone Company. Gardiner Hubbard, Bell’s father-in-law, was a key figure in Bell’s professional success. He helped establish and lead the Bell Telephone Company, which evolved into the foundation of modern telecommunications. Through their close personal and professional relationships, the Hubbards and Bell created a legacy of innovation and advocacy, particularly for the deaf community.
    • https://www.onlinesafetytrainer.com/a-biography-of-gardiner-greene-hubbard/ 
    • https://www.belllegacy.org/articles/mabel-gardiner-hubbard-155-anniversary/ 
    • https://www.clarkeschools.org/about-us/history/#:~:text=A%20Rich%20History,a%20result%20of%20scarlet%20fever. 
12. Pedro Ponce de Leon
    • Pedro Ponce de León, a 16th-century Spanish monk, is renowned for his pioneering work in deaf education. He is credited with establishing the first school for the deaf and developing early methods of teaching deaf children, including the use of finger-spelling. Ponce de León’s dedication to breaking language barriers was particularly evident when he supported a deaf student who had been denied entry into the Benedictine order due to his inability to communicate. Though much of his work has been lost, Ponce de León’s contributions laid the foundation for modern deaf education and sign language. His efforts in helping others communicate, despite the challenges of his time, make him an enduring figure in the history of deaf culture.
    • https://www.startasl.com/pedro-ponce-de-leon