Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet was born in 1787 in Philadelphia and moved to Hartford as a teenager. He attended Yale University and was interested in educating deaf children after meeting his neighbor's deaf daughter. He traveled to Europe to study methods for teaching the deaf and then opened the first American school for the deaf in Connecticut. The school was a success and grew rapidly, helping establish American Sign Language and spread the idea of deaf education. Gallaudet later married one of his students and had eight children before passing away in 1851, though his work continued through his son who opened the first college for the deaf.
2. Born in Philadelphia on December 10, 1787
In 1800 he and his family moved to Hartford
As soon as he turned 15 he attended Yale university
3. Alice was the deaf daughter of his neighbors
Her father asked Thomas if he would be interested in
creating a school for the deaf
On request he traveled to Europe to study educational
methods for teaching the deaf
4. the Connecticut Asylum for the Education and
Instruction of Deaf and Dumb Persons opened
Mr. Galaudet and another European teacher began to
teach students
The school got the attention of many, even President
James Monroe
5. The first class had 8 students
The students were bright and caught on quickly,
excited to be able to communicate
Word was spread and it quickly grew to 30 students
enrolled
6. American Sign Language had help developing through
the school
Also it made the idea of educating the deaf more wide
spread
Gallaudet married one of his students too, Sophia
Fowler
They had 8 children
7. Gallaudet passed away because of a lung disease in
1851
His youngest son Edward continued in deaf education
Later creating the first college committed to the deaf
8. Faster evolvement of education for the deaf
Also faster development of ASL
