Alice Cogswell

Alice Cogswell (August 31, 1805 – December 30, 1830) was the inspiration to Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet for the creation of the American School for the Deaf in Hartford, Connecticut.Upon learning she was deaf and noticing she wasn't interacting with other children, he decided to teach her to communicate through pictures and writing letters in the dirt.During the time of his absence, Alice attended a hearing school and somewhat furthered her education, though the situation was not ideal.[3] The Alice Cogswell statue (American School for the Deaf Founders Memorial), by Frances Laughlin Wadsworth, also represents her as a young girl.The Gallaudet University Alumni Association gives the Laurent Clerc Cultural Fund Alice Cogswell Award to people for valuable service on behalf of deaf citizens.