Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet

Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet
Painting by George F. Wright in 1851.
Born	(1787-12-10)December 10, 1787 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Died	September 10, 1851(1851-09-10) Hartford, Connecticut
Occupation	Minister, educator, co-founder of the first permanent school for the deaf in North America.
Spouse(s)	Sophia Fowler

The Reverend Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, LL.D., (December 10, 1787 – September 10, 1851) was a renowned American pioneer in the education of the deaf. Along with Laurent Clerc and Mason Cogswell, he co-founded the first institution for the education of the deaf in North America, and he became its first principal. When opened on April 15, 1817, it was called the "Connecticut Asylum (at Hartford) for the Education and Instruction of Deaf and Dumb Persons," but it is now known as the American School for the Deaf.

Gallaudet was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His parents moved to Hartford, Connecticut when he was 13. Wanting to be in the ministry from a young age he stayed behind as a youth minister, but because of health reasons he had to eventually move to Connecticut to live with his parents. He attended Yale University, earning his bachelor's degree in 1805, graduating at the age of seventeen, with highest honors, and then earned a master's degree at Yale in 1808. He wanted to do many things such as study law, engage in trade, or study theology. In 1814, Gallaudet became a preacher following his graduation from Andover Theological Seminary after a two-year course of study.

However, Gallaudet's wish to become a professional minister was put aside when he met Alice Cogswell, on the 25th of May, the nine-year-old deaf daughter of a neighbor, Dr. Mason Cogswell. On that day, as he observed her playing, he wanted to teach her. Gallaudet started to teach Alice what different objects were called by writing their names and drawing pictures of them with a stick in the dirt. Then Cogswell asked Gallaudet to travel to Europe to study methods for teaching deaf students, especially those of the Braidwood family in England. Gallaudet found the Braidwoods unwilling to share knowledge of their oral communication method and himself financially limited. At the same time, he also was not satisfied that the oral method produced desirable results.