Alice Cogswell

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Alice Cogswell (1805 – December 30, 1830) was the inspiration to Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet for the creation of the now American School for the Deaf in Hartford, Connecticut.

At the age of two years, she become ill with "spotted fever" (cerebra-spinal meningitis). This illness took her hearing and later she lost her speech as well. She was met, at age 9, by Gallaudet, who seized the opportunity to teach the deaf and mute girl. He and Alice's father, Dr. Mason Cogswell, decided that a formal school would be best for her, but no such school existed in the United States.

Alice Cogswell and six other deaf students entered the school that would become the American School for the Deaf in April of 1817.

She died at the age of twenty-five on December 30, 1830, just thirteen days after the death of her father.

On the campus of the present American School for the Deaf at Hartford stands a beautiful statue of Gallaudet and Cogswell.

Another statue of Gallaudet and Cogswell stood in front of Gallaudet University campus as Gallaudet sit on chair and Alcie stood next to him to share their communication of "A" in fingerspelling.

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