On September 6, 1854, a monument honoring educator and minister Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet was dedicated on the grounds of the American Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb in Hartford, Connecticut.
The project carried exceptional historical significance: it was conceived, funded, and organized by Deaf people themselves. Following Gallaudet’s death, an association led by Laurent Clerc appointed representatives in different states to gather contributions from Deaf Americans. The approximately $2,500 cost was raised entirely through those donations; people who could hear and speak were not permitted to contribute.
Gallaudet and Clerc had opened the nation’s first permanent school for Deaf students in Hartford in 1817—the institution now known as the American School for the Deaf. Their work helped establish a lasting foundation for Deaf education in the United States.
Designed overall by Deaf artist Albert Newsam, the more than twenty-foot monument was made of marble on a granite base. Deaf artist John Carlin designed its prominent bas-relief, which depicts Gallaudet teaching three Deaf students through the manual alphabet; another panel spelled “Gallaudet” with sculpted handshapes.
More than a memorial to one educator, the monument represented Deaf Americans’ collective gratitude, agency, and determination to honor a teacher who had helped expand access to education.
Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
