Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet A young Protestant minister who graduated from Yale University. Was also a neighbor to Dr. Mason Fitch Cogswell (a surgeon and President of the Connecticut Medical Society) and was asked by Cogswell to learn how to educate his 9 yr old deaf daughter, Alice. Traveled to England to learn from the Braidwood family (oralists) but was turned away. What else do we remember about him?

THG, Clerc, with the help of Dr. Cogswell and his wealthy colleagues help to open the American School for the Deaf. The school opened with 7 students, one of which was Alice Cogswell! The 15 th student to enroll was Sophia Fowler (later became Mrs. T.H. Gallaudet). Gallaudet and Clerc found that the children they had gathered already had a sign system, the same as found on Martha’s Vineyard!

Sophia Fowler (Gallaudet) Her education began at the age of 19 (15 th student at the school), 3 yrs later, THG proposed to her. She bore 8 children from THG (4 girls and 4 boys) all of which were hearing but native signers. She was an early lobbyist, enlisting the support of Congressmen in the establishment of a collegiate department… Today’s Gallaudet University.

Edward Miner Gallaudet The youngest child of Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Sophia Fowler. He continued his father’s work and played an important role in the education of the deaf in America. At age 14, EMG started tutoring at American School for the Deaf. At age 16, he graduated from the Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. (from Trinity he received both his maters and Ph. D)

Amos Kendall He was a politician, the Postmaster General under President Jackson, and lives on a large farm called Kendall Green. He wanted to start a school for children so he appealed to congress for support and got it! In 1857, there was an elementary school in a cottage on Kendall’s farm. The school that EMG and Kendall created was for both blind and deaf students that were seeking aid.

EMG opened this school for him and was the superintendent, while his mother, Sophia Fowler was the matron (seeing over the girls’ studies). The cottage is now gone but the school name still exists today in his honor: The Kendall Demonstration Elementary School.

April 1864 When EMG thought that he had enough support, he asked congress to establish a college for the deaf. President Abe Lincoln signed the charter which established the first college for the deaf. June 28, 1864: The National Deaf Mute College opened, this would later become Gallaudet College and then Gallaudet University!! The land that Kendall donated was very important because those 2 acres of land in Washington D.C. is now where Gallaudet University is located.