Who was the Father of Gallaudet University?

February 4, 2016 Deaf Culture and History No Comments

Who was the Father of Gallaudet University?

Meet Edward Miner Gallaudet

· Lived February 5, 1837 – September 26, 1917

· Son of Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Sophia Fowler Gallaudet

· Edward Miner married Jane Melissa Fessenden and had 3 children.

· The first Principal of the Columbia Institution for the Deaf and Dumb and Blind.

· In 1864, Gallaudet worked for college status of the Columbia Institution and President Abraham Lincoln granted it: this first college of the deaf eventually became Gallaudet University.

· He served as President, Administrator AND President of the Board of Directors AT THE SAME TIME!

o President from 1896-1910 (46 years!)

o Head administrator from 1857-1910 (53 years!)

o President of the Board of Directors from 1864-1911 (47 years!)

· He was a strong advocate of ASL and often fought against those who would restrict the use of ASL.

· He actually attended the Milan Conference of 1881 and wrote a report on it. See the report here.

· He was honored by 3 Universities who awarded him honorary degrees: Trinity College in 1859 (M.A.) and 1869 (LL.D.), the Columbian University (later George Washington University) also in 1869 (Ph.D.), and Yale University in 1895 (LL.D.).

resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Miner_Gallaudet
http://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/edward-miner-gallaudet_19861411

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