FAQ: Clerc, Laurent: Writings by and about

Writings by and about Laurent Clerc

Laurent Clerc was a pioneer among teachers of the deaf. In 1816, he left France for Hartford, Connecticut, where he helped Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet set up what is now the American School for the Deaf. It is surprisingly difficult, however, to find information about this early deaf educator. This page is designed to make research on Clerc and his writings easier by providing researchers with immediate access to source materials that would otherwise be difficult to find. As time permits, additional articles will be added to this page as they become available.

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Periodicals

• Clerc, Laurent. "Jean Massieu,"
  American Annals of the Deaf, Volume 2, Number 2, January 1849, pages 84-89.
  Clerc, Laurent. "Jean Massieu,"
  American Annals of the Deaf, Volume 2, Number 4, July 1849, pages 203-217.

  SUMMARY: Clerc writes about his good friend and fellow Deaf educator Jean Massieu. Includes a biographical sketch of Massieu's life, details about his appearance and manners, and some stories from his life. Information about Abbe Sicard, Massieu and Clerc's teacher, is also included.

   

• Clerc, Laurent. "Visits to Some of the Schools for the Deaf and Dumb in France and England,"
  American Annals of the Deaf, Volume 1, Number 1, October 1847, pages 62-66.
  Clerc, Laurent. "Visits to Some of the Schools for the Deaf and Dumb in France and England,"
  American Annals of the Deaf, Volume 1, Number 2, January 1848, pages 113-120.
  Clerc, Laurent. "Visits to Some of the Schools for the Deaf and Dumb in France and England,"
  American Annals of the Deaf, Volume 1, Number 3, April 1848, pages 170-176.

  SUMMARY: Laurent Clerc travels by boat and train as he returns to his native France. Clerc tells us not only about schools for the deaf and the deaf people he encounters during his year abroad, but also about daily life and travel in 1846. For example, while walking through a village, Clerc hears about an extraordinary cure for deafness using magnetism. In addition, Clerc observes lessons in articulation, spelling and grammar; comments on the social life and living conditions of male and female students; and records the attitudes and philosophies of several deaf educators.

   

• Denison, James. "The Memory of Laurent Clerc: Dedication Address for Clerc Memorial,"
  American Annals of the Deaf, Volume 19, Number 4, October 1874, pages 238-244.

  SUMMARY: Laurent Clerc's life is recalled in this warm tribute by James Denison. Denison discusses the people and events that shaped and influenced Clerc's life.

   

• "Reminiscences of Laurent Clerc,"
  Silent World, July 1871, pages 5-6.

  SUMMARY: A description of Clerc's manners and personality, written by a student after Clerc retired. The former student is quite observant and describes Clerc's daily life at the American School after he left teaching. Several anecdotes about Clerc are recorded.

   

• Porter, Samuel. "Retirement of Mr. Clerc,"
  American Annals of the Deaf, Volume 10, Number 3, July 1858, pages, 181-183.

  SUMMARY: Announcement of Clerc's retirement at age 73, with a brief discussion of his accomplishments and complimentary resolutions passed by the Instructors of the American Asylum for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb. Clerc's reply to the resolutions concerning his retirement is included.

Books

• Clerc, Laurent. The Diary of Laurent Clerc's Voyage from France to America in 1816 (West Hartford, CT: American School for the Deaf, 1952). 22 pages.
  
  • pp.1-10
  • pp.11-20
  • pp.21-22 plus photos

  SUMMARY: Sail across the Atlantic with Laurent Clerc and Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet on the Mary Augusta for 52 days. Clerc's daily logs provide excellent insights into daily life aboard a sailing ship in 1816. This article also incorporates a two page biographical sketch of Clerc's life, reprinted from the Buff and Blue.

Thanks to Jane Rutherford, Susan Davis, Thomas Harrington, and Ulf Hedberg.