PREFACE.

On the one hundredth anniversary of Dr. Gallaudet's birth, this record of his life is completed and offered to the deaf of America, and their friends, with an assurance of their friendly interest in its publication.

The writer ventures to hope, also, that to promoters of education and benevolent effort, generally, the volume will be welcome.

A word of explanation is due for an omission. which may be noticed by certain readers.

The Hartford School for the Deaf has in its corporate and popular name the word "asylum."

Whatever may be said in justification of the use of this term in earlier years, it is now generally condemned as altogether out of place when applied to establishments designed solely for educational purposes. Many institutions for the deaf have dropped it from their official titles as inappropriate and misleading. No schools organized within the last thirty years make use of it. It has been thought best, therefore, in the interest of a most reasonable reform, to omit it from the following pages.

The portrait which serves as a frontispiece is

taken from an oil painting made by the late George F. Wright, of Hartford, a short time after Dr. Gallaudet's death.

Mr. Wright's intimacy with Dr. Gallaudet had been so close and so long extended that he was able to produce a likeness much more characteristic and satisfactory, in the estimation of the family, than any other; not excepting the daguerreotype from which all of the existing prints and photographs have been copied.

NATIONAL DEAF-MUTE COLLEGE,

KENDALL GREEN, NEAR WASHINGTON, D. C.

December 10th, 1887.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

1556-1685-1787-1805.

Ancestry-Parentage-Childhood-Family Environment--
School and College Life.

PAGE

I

CHAPTER II.

1805–1815.

Study of Law-Tutorship in Yale College-Serious Ill-
health-Religious Despondency and Doubts-Active
Business and Travel-Theological Study at Andover
-A Call to the Ministry at Portsmouth, New Hamp-
shire.

26

CHAPTER III.

1815--1816.

Interest in Deaf-Mutes - Alice Cogswell-An Invitation
from Citizens of Hartford to Undertake the Education
of the Deaf in America-A Tour to England, Scotland
and France to Gain Information Difficulties and
Hindrances in Great Britain-Success in France-
Temporary Pastorate in Paris..

45

PAGE

CHAPTER IV.

1816-1823.

-

Return to America-Efforts to Interest the Public in the
Education of the Deaf Public Addresses in Many
Cities Organization and Opening of the School at
Hartford - Favorable Action of State and National
Legislatures - Munificent Grant of Land from Con-
gress-Erection and Dedication of Permanent Build-
ings for the Institution-Rapid Increase of Number of
Pupils Difficulties in Management-Attempt in the
Board of Directors to Remove Mr. Gallaudet from
Office.

III

CHAPTER V.

1821.

Marriage to Sophia Fowler, One of the Earliest Pupils of
the School-Characteristic Letter written Two Days
after the Wedding-Description of Mrs. Gallaudet-
Happiness in the Married Life.

141

CHAPTER VI.

1823-1830.

Arduous Labors as Principal and Teacher-Invention of
Methods of Pantomimic Communication-Visit of Col.
John Trumbull - Solicitations to aid in Establishing
Schools for the Deaf outside of New England-Failing
Health-Application to the Directors for Relief from
Certain Duties - Opposition of Associates to such
Relief The Institution Established on a Firm and
Permanent Basis - Increasing Feebleness-Resigna-
tion of Principalship.

. 157

PAGE

CHAPTER VII.

Services in Aid of Various Public Enterprises-Foreign
Missions -The Tract Society — Education

--

Prince

Abdul Rahhamann-A Visit to Washington-A Ser-
mon in the House of Representatives-Notes from
John Quincy Adams' Diary-Education of Negroes as
Missionaries to Africa-Letters from Dr. Milnor and
Gerrit Smith.

. 195

CHAPTER VIII.

1830-1838.

Invitations to fill a Number of Important Positions-To
Inaugurate the Education of the Blind of America at
Boston-To represent the Colonization Society in New
England-To take Professors' Chairs in several Colleges
and to become Principal of Various Institutions-To
Inaugurate a Professorship of the Philosophy of Edu-
cation in New York University-Mr. Gallaudet De-
clines all these Offers and Devotes Himself to the
Preparation of Books for the Young-Correspondence
with the King of Siam-Interest in Manual Training
and Normal Schools-An Important Secret Mission
to the West-Invitation to become Principal of the
First Normal School.

221

CHAPTER IX.

1838-1851.

Interest in the Insane-An Invitation to Preach at the In-
sane Hospital in Worcester, Mass., and to become
Permanent Chaplain-A Similar Invitation from the
Retreat at Hartford Accepted-Extracts from the
Chaplain's Diary-Suggestions as to Treatment of the
Insane.

254