Samuel Gridley Howe

Born on this day in 1801 to a prosperous Boston family, Samuel Gridley Howe, graduated from Harvard Medical School. Immediately upon graduation along with so many other young idealists of his generation he traveled to Greece and threw himself into their revolution. Later he continued his medical training in Paris where he also embroiled himself in the July Revolution.

Returning home he cast about for a way to make his mark in history.

Howe found it when he was recruited to the directorship of a newly formed asylum for the blind.

Except for an occasional foray into politics, he would be involved in the Polish revolution, was a fervent abolitionist and one of the Secret Six, he would devote the rest of his life to what would come to be called Perkins School for the Blind.

Without a doubt Howe’s most remarkable contribution to human civilization was developing a system to educate the deafblind. After formulating his principles he cast about for a likely candidate who turned out to be Laura Bridgman, a young girl in New Hampshire.

A member of Boston’s Unitarian intelligentsia, Howe brought all the strengths and the weaknesses of that perspective to a life that did indeed change the world.

Many years later when Mrs Keller despaired for her daughter, she stumbled upon Charles Dickens’ account of his visit to Perkins, wrote them, and they sent her Anne Sullivan.

Howe was married to the remarkable Julia Ward Howe.

I’m so proud that my spouse, Jan Seymour-Ford is research librarian at the school, continuing the best of the work that Dr Howe started.

And in this season of great hope, I can’t help but think of Perkin’s motto.