Prominent Members of
Deaf History in America
Miss Janae Pierce
Non-Linear PowerPoint
Introduction
Lesson
Quizzes
Introduction
This non-linear PowerPoint is designed for an
introductory Deaf history class. The target audience is
beginning and intermediate ASL students.
After completing this lesson, students will have completed
the following objectives:
 Recognize prominent figures in Deaf history
 Associate each person with their contribution to Deaf
history
 Understand the significance of these contributions.
How to use this Lesson
 Use the green arrows to move through the slides.
 Read the information on each slide thoroughly before
moving on to the next.
 Use the red hexagon to return to the homepage at
anytime.
.
Thomas H. Gallaudet
Rev. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet was the founder and first principle of The American School for the
Deaf, the first American school for the deaf, in Hartford Connecticut in 1817.
Gallaudet’s interest in deaf education began upon meeting Alice Cogswell, the deaf daughter of
Gallaudet’s neighbor, Dr. Mason Fitch Cogswell. Once convinced Alice was capable of learning, Dr.
Cogswell financed Gallaudet’s travel to Europe to observe different education methods.
Gallaudet first traveled to Great Britain to study the Braidwoods’ method to, to no avail. He then went
to France and studied under Abbé Roch-Ambrosia Sicard for four months before returning to America
accompanied by a deaf teacher, Laurent Clerc.
Laurent Clerc
Laurent Clerc was a deaf teacher who travelled to America with Thomas H. Gallaudet to found the American
School for the Deaf and became the first deaf teacher at the school. Today Clerc is sometimes referred to as the
“Apostle to the Deaf People of the New World”
Clerc graduated from the Institut National des Jeune Sourds-Muets in Paris, and was hired after graduation as
a tutor, and later became a teacher at the school. Clerc also traveled to England with Abbé Roch-Ambrosia
Sicard promoting Sicard’s deaf education methods.
Clerc met Thomas H. Gallaudet when Gallaudet came to learn more about the methods used by Sicard. Clerc,
and Sicard, gave private training to Gallaudet. Upon Gallaudet’s request, Sicard sent Clerc, who was now his
assistant, to America to continue to work with Gallaudet. Clerc became a teacher The America School for the
Deaf, trained many future teachers, and taught students in French sign language, which become the foundation
for modern ASL.
Click this link to learn more about Laurent Clerc: Deaf Heros: Laurent Clerc (Video is in ASL)
Edward M. Gallaudet
Edward Miner Gallaudet was the youngest of Thomas H. Gallaudet’s twelve children and the first
president of Gallaudet University in Washington D.C.
In 1857, after graduating from Yale, E. M. Gallaudet became the president of the Columbia Institution
for the Deaf and Dumb, which after several name changes became Gallaudet University. While in this
position, E. M. Gallaudet became very interested in the oralism-manualism debate. Initially, E. M.
Gallaudet was a strong supporter of the use of oralism in deaf education. However, E. M. Gallaudet
changed his position and became the primary supporter of the mixed manualism-oralism approach and
published the article, “Must the Sign Language Go?” Today his is considered the person most
responsible for the survival of the manual-oral method.
Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell had a large impact on the oralism movement in the United States.
Bell was first exposed to deafness with his mother, who had been deaf since age four. Bell learned to
communicate with his mother using a manual alphabet. After his family moved from Scotland to
Canda, Bell began to teach. Bell eventually married one of his students, Mable Hubbard, who had been
deaf since she was four and had learned to read lips and speak under Bell.
Bell was a strong believer in eugenics and frowned upon the intermarriages of the deaf, believing that it
would lead to more deaf people. Bell proposed creating a law banning deaf intermarriages and
marriages between members of families with more than one deaf-mute. He also wanted to eliminate
segregated education, sign language, deaf teachers in programs for the deaf.
William Stokoe
Dr. William Stokoe was an advocate for ASL and a key in ASL gaining recognition as a true language.
Upon receiving his Ph.D. in English from Cornell University, Stokoe spent several years teaching at
Wells College in Aurora, New York. In 1955, Stokoe moved to Washington D.C. to teach English at
Gallaudet University. During his time at Gallaudet, Stokoe became interested in the linguistics of ASL.
In his lifetime, Stokoe published many papers, articles, and books, as well as a journal, that promoted
ASL as a language. Over time, many linguists and deaf educators began to agree with Stokoe’s point of
view. Today Stokoe’ is credited not only the founder of ASL linguistics, but his work is recognized as
one of the reason Deaf communities round the world have gained educational and civil rights.
I. King Jordan
Dr. I. King Jordan was the eighth president and the first deaf president at Gallaudet University in Washington
D.C.
In 1988, Jordan, the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, was selected as one of three finalists to become
the ne president of Gallaudet, along with another deaf contender and one hearing candidate with no
background in deaf education or signing. When the Board of Trustees at Gallaudet selected the hearing
candidate, Dr. Elizabeth Zinser, as the seventh president, the students of Gallaudet began a weeklong protest
know a the Deaf President Now (DPN) movement. Students demanded Zinser step down and be replaced with
a deaf president, along with a few other demands. When the students’ demands were finally met, Jordan was
selected as the new president and remained in the position until 2006.
In 2010 Dr. Jordan was selected by President Barack Obama to serve on The Commission on Presidential
Scholers.
Click the link to learn about DPN and see an interview with Dr. Jordan: Deaf Mosaic #402
Congratulations!
You have completed this lesson!
I hope that you now have a better understanding of the
influences on Deaf history.
If you would like to restart this lesson, click the green
circle.
If you want to return home, click the red hexagon.
If you want to take the quiz, click the yellow star.
How to Take the Quiz

This quiz contains 6 questions based on the information you read in the
lesson. Questions are in a multiple choice format.

Read each question carefully, then select the best answer.

If the answer is correct, you will move on to the next question

If you are incorrect, you may try again or stop the quiz and return to the
lesson using the green circle.

You may return to the homepage at any time by using the red hexagon.

Click the arrow to begin.
Who was the first president of
Gallaudet University?
A. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet
B. I. King Jordan
C. Edward Minner Gallaudet
That is Correct!!
Try Again
Try Again
Who is called the “Apostle to the
Deaf in the New World”
A. Laurent Clerc
B. William Stokoe
C. Alexander Graham Bell
That is Correct!!
Try Again
Try Again
Which of the following men
disapproved of deaf intermarrying?
A. I. King Jordan
B. Alexander Graham Bell
C. Laurent Clerc
That is Correct!!
Try Again
Try Again
Who was the first principal of the
Hartford School for the Deaf ?
A. Alexander Graham Bell
B. Laurent Clerc
C. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet
That is Correct!!
Try Again
Try Again
Who was the first deaf president
of Gallaudet?
A. I. King Jordan
B. Edward Minner Gallaudet
C. William Stokoe
That is Correct!!
Try Again
Try Again
Which of the following men was
most influential in ASL becoming
recognize as a language?
A. Laurent Clerc
B. William Stokoe
C. Alexander Graham Bell
That is Correct!!
Try Again
Try Again
Congratulations!!
You have completed the quiz for this lesson!
You have shown a true understanding of the foundations
of Deaf history. Each of you should be proud of your
accomplishments.
To take the quiz again, click the green circle.
To return to the home screen, click the red hexagon.
To see the credits, click the orange square.
Credits
Images and Sound Effects

All images courtesy of Google Image search

All clipart and sound effects courtesy of Microsoft PowerPoint
Historical Information

Educating the Deaf (5th Edition) by Donald F. Moores

University of Gallaudet website: http://www.gallaudet.edu/
Videos

Deaf Mosaic #402 – dcmpnad - http://youtu.be/OtsYVeRuBuw

Deaf Heroes: Laurent Clerc – CSD-ASL Corpus - http://youtu.be/43iRtgEI5VY