FAQ: Gallaudet Family

The Gallaudet family has long been involved in deaf education, yet biographical information is surprisingly scarce. This page will provide you with information about members of the Gallaudet family from 19th and early 20th century sources. Thomas H. Gallaudet (1787-1852), his wife Sophia, and their sons Thomas (1822-1902) and Edward (1837-1917) were all involved in aspects of deaf education for over a century.

NOTE: These are Adobe PDF documents. To read them, you must have the Adobe Reader installed on your computer. If needed, go to the Adobe Reader Download page to download and install it.

  Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet

Periodicals

• Booth, Edwin. "Booth's reminiscences of Gallaudet,"
  American Annals of the Deaf, Volume 26, Number 3, July 1881, pages 200-202.
  

  SUMMARY: Former Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet pupil, author, and jack of many trades, Edwin Booth writes a sketch of the personality and mannerisms of his beloved teacher. Also included is a short paragraph describing Thomas's wife Sophia. NOTE: We think the author is actually Edmund Booth but he was clearly referred to in this article as Edwin.

• Peet, Issac Lewis. ""Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet,"
  American Annals of the Deaf, Volume 33, Number 1, October 1888, pages 43-54.
  

  SUMMARY: Isaac Peet pays tribute to his life-long friend and mentor on the 100th anniversary of Thomas H. Gallaudet's birthday.

Books

• Gallaudet, Edward Miner. Life of Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet: founder of deaf-mute instruction in America by his son, Edward Miner Gallaudet. New York, H. Holt and Co., 1881. 339 pages.
  NOTE: To read this book in an MS Word file, after clicking the link for the book above, click on View/Open near the bottom of the ALADIN Research Commons record.

  SUMMARY: Detailed study of the life of Thomas H. Gallaudet, written by his son Edward. Book includes information about the Gallaudet ancestry, Alice Cogswell, Sophia Gallaudet, and letters from Abbe Sicard, John Quincy Adams, and the King of Siam. Information for the book was taken from letters, notes and diary entries. This work also serves as an excellent study of 19th century life.

 Sophia Fowler Gallaudet

Periodicals

• Draper, Amos G. "Sophia Gallaudet,"
  American Annals of the Deaf, Volume 22, Number 3, July 1877, pages 170-183..

  SUMMARY: Sketch of Sophia Fowler Gallaudet's life and her life with Thomas H. Gallaudet, covering Sophia's childhood and education, her family life, and children. Observations about her physical description, characteristics, and beliefs are included.

 Edward Miner Gallaudet

Periodicals

• Fay, Edward F. "Edward Miner Gallaudet,"
  American Annals of the Deaf, Volume 62, Number 5, November 1917, pages 399-403.
  

  SUMMARY: Fay nicely retells the life of Gallaudet University's first president. Edward M. Gallaudet is praised for his leadership abilities and his influence on deaf education.

• Fay, Edward F. ""President Gallaudet's Retirement,"
  American Annals of the Deaf, Volume 55, Number 4, September 1910, pages 301-307.
  

  SUMMARY: Biography of Edward M. Gallaudet discusses his life story. Topics include: Schooling, founding a school for the deaf, the Combined System, lip reading, relationship with Congress, and honors and awards.

 Thomas Gallaudet

Periodicals

• Draper, Amos G. "Thomas Gallaudet,"
  American Annals of the Deaf, Volume 48, Number 5, November 1902, pages 393-403.
  

  SUMMARY: Draper praises the life of the eldest son of Thomas Hopkins and Sophia Gallaudet. Not as well known as his brother Edward, Thomas Gallaudet's work with the deaf began as a teacher but he made his mark as a pastor to the deaf New York City.

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