Laurent Clerc’s Biography
The biography of Laurent Clerc is both an exciting and inspiring story since it was hard to believe that a Frenchman founded the first school of the deaf in America. Laurent Clerc was born on December 26, 1785, in a village near Lyon in France. He was the son to Marie- Elisabeth and Joseph-Francois, who owned a small farm, in the town of He were born an average child with all abilities, but at the age of one, he had an accident where he fell into a fire—as a result, losing both his smelling and hearing capabilities. He was scared so severely on his face, but later in life, the scar became his trademark and gave him a more distinguished look. Later in life, at the age of 12, he enrolled in the royal institute found in Paris, where he was a very great student in deaf education. His teachers in the school were Jean Massieu, a deaf teacher, and Abbe Sicard. Due to his excellent performance in school, teachers at the school asked him to be a teacher at the school. He began as an assistant teacher but was later assigned the highest class since he was very dedicated to his work, and his students produced outstanding results.
Back in America, Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet as a student pursuing ministry, was very concerned when he came across a deaf girl named Alice Cogswell. He became distraught with the fact that the girl could not get any help since there was no school for the deaf in America. This concern led Gallaudet to sail to London in 1815 to source ideas on how to help the deaf get an education just like healthy children. His journey to London bore no fruits since he was not able to get help, but it was then that he met with a French deaf tutor who was Massieu and Sicard invited him to the Royal Institution for the deaf in Paris where he met with Laurent Clerc who was at the teacher in the school.
Gallaudet agreed to go to France and joined the Royal Institution, where Clerc became his teacher in Sign language. The relationship between the two grew stronger since they studied and worked together while at school. When it was time for Gallaudet to go back home, he invited Clerc to accompany him, and he agreed under the condition that he would not stay for long in America. In their 52 days voyage, Gallaudet taught Clerc English while he Clerc continued to teach him to sign language. In the ship, they also talked about how the deaf could get education hence coming up with the idea of the first school for the deaf in America. One year after they arrive in America, they founded the primary school for the deaf in America in Harford, Connecticut, called the American School for the deaf.
Clerc was a very busy man at the school since he taught the school principal who was Gallaudet, deaf students, and men who were interested in learning the deaf language. It was very challenging since the government only sponsored students for only five years; hence Clerc had to teach the students very fast. Furthermore, he was the only teacher who had perfect knowledge of the subject; therefore, it was very tedious for him. Since Clerc was very hardworking and dedicated to his work, he was able to teach many students and also helped in the opening of more schools for the deaf in America. Clerc was later invited to Washington DC, where he addressed the congress of the United States. During his travel in Washington, he met with President James Monroe, who was very interested in the deaf language, mostly how it was taught.
Clerc married one of his first students Eliza crocker, and together they had six children. He later retired from the field of education in 1858, but he was not able to fulfill his dream of returning to France since he died on July 18, 1869, at the age of 83. The New York Times said that Clerc arrives in Hartford in 1816, started teaching in 1817, served for 50 years, dedicating his life to teaching and instructing the deaf language in America and later died in 1869. His determination to spread the deaf word and his grace made him one of the most loved characters in America at that time. Clerc becomes a very crucial figure in the history of deaf education in America since he played a very significant role in the shaping of culture. He had an exemplary persona being a poor deaf kid from France who made the deaf language an essential part of American society. Notably, many awards, funds, and buildings were named after him due to his role in education for the deaf.
Achievements of Laurent Clerc
Clerc was the first teacher to teach the deaf sigh language in America; hence had a very significant effect in the history of deaf language in the world. Being one of the first educators in this field, he is considered the father of the deaf and apostle of the deaf in the United States. Laurent was not only the founder of the first school for the deaf in America but also the most significant supporter for the spread of sign language in America. He was a great advocate for equal rights for the deaf, mostly in education hence inspiring a range of deaf culture in America. Furthermore, Clerc was the first deaf person to stand before the United States Congress and address them in sign language. He was also the first deaf person to send an American president who was President John Monroe at that particular time. The president was very intrigued by how Clerc was able to communicate, and he could not hear.
Clerc’s journey to becoming the father of deaf education began when he started attending deaf school in France at the age of 12. He was an excellent student as soon become a teacher in the deaf language. Later in life, he came to meet with Thomas Gallaudet, who becomes a close friend, and together they began the first deaf school in Harford, Connecticut. The school started in rented rooms, and it was first name Connecticut Asylum, but today it’s known as the American school for the deaf. Clerc was very good at heart since he agreed to teach Thomas Gallaudet, who was not deaf the sigh language. It was also courageous for Clerc to decide to leave his home and encounter on a journey which he had no clue about with a person he had known for a short time. It is also honorable how Clerc agreed to stay in America and spread the deaf language in the country, although he had not planned it.
Laurent Clerc proved that disability is not inability since he was an excellent student despite not having received education up to the age of 12. At that time, teaching deaf students was considered very tedious since there were very few teachers in this field. This did not stop Clerc from getting his education since he was a very bright student and later becoming a teacher at the same school. Later in life, he taught Gallaudet the sigh language, which in return taught him the English language, which they used in spreading the sigh language in America. Clerc did not only teach in America but also had some lectures in London with the deaf, where he met his long life partner in spreading the deaf language Thomas Gallaudet. Clerc’s dedication to the language is very evident through his actions. Together with Gallaudet, they were able to raise over $ 12,000 by demonstrating different teaching method of deaf communication through signing as compared to the oral, method
Laurent Clerc will not only be remembered as the founder of the first deaf school in America but also a humanitarian who dedicated most of his life, ensuring the deaf people had an equal place in society. He is not only celebrated by the deaf people but also the American people since many buildings and awards have been named after him for his efforts in the spreads of the deaf language. Clerc will forever be remembered as the father of deaf education in America and the world at large.
Reference
Berthier, F., & Henry, F. G. (2009). Forging deaf education in nineteenth-century France: Biographical sketches of Bébian, Sicard, Massieu, and Clerc. Gallaudet University Press.
Zaricor, T. Deaf People: Laurent Clerc.
Nix, G. W. (Ed.). (1976). Mainstream education for hearing impaired children and youth. New York: Grune & Stratton.