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Alexander Graham Bell: His Life and Teachings By: Melissa Bell

The Beginning Born on March 3, 1847 in Edinburgh, Scotland The son of Alexander Melville Bell, a well-known figure in speech correction One of three sons Educated mainly in the home

The Beginning Contd. Mother was deaf due to Scarlet Fever Used a manual alphabet to communicate with her Later married Mabel Hubbard, one of his first students at the Clarke School Together, they conceived two daughters, Elsie and Marion

Alexander as an Educator Became a teacher at Elgins Western House Academy at the age of 17 At the age of 21, he moved to London and went to work as his fathers assistant Emigrated to Canada with his family when he was 23, after losing both of his brothers to tuberculosis Settled in Brantford, Ontario

Alexander the Educator Contd. Taught his method of Visible Speech, a system of shorthand initiated by his father, at the Boston Day School in 1871 Also demonstrated Visible Speech at the Clarke School and the American School for the Deaf Later returned to Boston and established a school of Vocal Physiology at Boston University

Visible Speech Chart

Alexander the Inventor Received the patent for the telephone at age 29 Also completed work on the phonograph and the audiometer Moved to Washington, D.C. in 1879 Received an honorary Ph.D. from Gallaudet College in 1880

Educational Establishment Established a small private school for the deaf in Washington in 1883 Whiteboards were used in place of blackboards and charcoal instead of chalk All objects were labeled and the floors were covered with rugs Children were seated around a low table Both hearing and deaf children attended the school

The Later Years Believed that sign language and residential schools were the causes for intermarrying in the deaf community Pushed for laws to eliminate intermarriage Tried to intervene when his first pupil, George Sanders, made plans to marry Lucy Sweet, a woman who was deaf

The Later Years Contd. Founded the Volta Bureau in Washington, D.C. in 1887 Assisted in the publishing of the Volta Review in 1889 Also established the American Association to Promote the Teaching of Speech to the Deaf, which took over the Volta Bureau and was later named the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf, Incorporated

The End Succeeded his father-in-law as president of the National Geographic Society Assisted the careers of other scientists with his profit from the telephone Died in Nova Scotia, Canada on August 22, 1922 at the age of 75 During his funeral, people in North America were urged to refrain from making phone calls in order to keep telephone lines clear as a tribute to his life and teachings

Bibliography Moore, Donald F. (2001). Educating the Deaf: Psychology, Principles, and Practices (Fifth Edition). New York: Houghton Mifflin Company html/ah_008700_bellalexande.htm lexander.shtml htm vents/mabell.html ble_speech_chart.htm tml