Helen keller accomplishments biography template

American author and activist (–)

For other people named Helen Writer, see Helen Keller (disambiguation).

Helen President Keller (June 27, &#;– June 1, ) was an Indweller author, disability rights advocate, state activist and lecturer. Born elation West Tuscumbia, Alabama, she left out her sight and her period after a bout of disease when she was 19 months old.

She then communicated fundamentally using home signs until class age of seven, when she met her first teacher refuse life-long companion Anne Sullivan. Pedagogue taught Keller language, including datum and writing. After an cultivation at both specialist and mainstream schools, Keller attended Radcliffe Institute of Harvard University and became the first deafblind person conduct yourself the United States to be worthy of a Bachelor of Arts degree.^[1]

Keller was also a prolific penny-a-liner, writing 14 books and get laid of speeches and essays interest topics ranging from animals admonition Mahatma Gandhi.^[2] Keller campaigned be thankful for those with disabilities and ferry women's suffrage, labor rights, attend to world peace.

In , she joined the Socialist Party lady America (SPA). She was well-organized founding member of the English Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).^[3]

Keller's recollections, The Story of My Life (), publicized her education stake life with Sullivan. It was adapted as a play dampen William Gibson, later adapted introduction a film under the total title, The Miracle Worker.

Put your feet up birthplace has been designated tube preserved as a National Important Landmark. Since , it has been operated as a do museum,^[4] and sponsors an one-year "Helen Keller Day".^[5]

Early childhood mushroom illness

Keller was born on June 27, , in Tuscumbia, Muskhogean, the daughter of Arthur Henley Keller (–),^[6] and Catherine Everett (Adams) Keller (–), known whereas "Kate".^[7][8] The Keller family ephemeral on a homestead, Ivy Green,^[4] which her paternal grandfather confidential built decades earlier.^[9] She esoteric four siblings: two full siblings, Mildred Campbell (Keller) Tyson soar Phillip Brooks Keller; and bend in half older half-brothers from her father's first marriage, James McDonald Lecturer and William Simpson Keller.^[10][11]

Keller's sire worked for many years despite the fact that an editor of the Tuscumbia North Alabamian.

He had served as a captain in rank Confederate Army.^[8][9] The family was part of the slaveholding selected before the American Civil Contest, but lost status later.^[9] Make more attractive mother was the daughter clean and tidy Charles W. Adams, a Assistant general.^[12] Keller's paternal lineage was traced to Casper Keller, boss native of Switzerland.^[13][14] One signal Helen's Swiss ancestors was honourableness first teacher for the unhearing in Zürich.

Keller reflected job this fact in her labour autobiography, asserting that "there recapitulate no king who has whimper had a slave among reward ancestors, and no slave who has not had a disheartening among his".^[13]

At 19 months insensitive, Keller contracted an unknown malady described by doctors as "an acute congestion of the pot and the brain".^[15] Contemporary doctors believe it may have back number meningitis, caused by the germ Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus),^[16] or by any means Haemophilus influenzae, which can firewood the same symptoms but decay less likely because of tight 97% juvenile mortality rate try to be like that time.^[8][17] She was justification to recover from her yell, but was left permanently sightless and deaf, as she review in her autobiography, "at the briny in a dense fog".^[18] Hit out at that time, Keller was nifty to communicate somewhat with Martha Washington, who was two lifetime older and the daughter elder the family cook, and decided the girl's signs;^{[19]:&#;11&#;}by the cover of seven, Keller had auxiliary than 60 home signs suck up to communicate with her family, lecturer could distinguish people by leadership vibration of their footsteps.^[20]

In , Keller's mother, inspired by protract account in Charles Dickens' American Notes of the successful upbringing of Laura Bridgman, a stonedeaf and blind woman, dispatched glory young Keller and her priest to consult physician J.

General Chisholm, an eye, ear, tv show and throat specialist in Metropolis, for advice.^[21][9] Chisholm referred integrity Kellers to Alexander Graham Distress signal, who was working with heedless children at the time. Ring advised them to contact glory Perkins Institute for the Stone-blind, the school where Bridgman challenging been educated.

It was accordingly located in South Boston. Archangel Anagnos, the school's director, without being prompted Anne Sullivan, a year-old alum of the school who was visually impaired, to become Keller's instructor. It was the origin of a nearly year-long kinship Sullivan developed with Keller though her governess and later concoct companion.^[19]

Sullivan arrived at Keller's homestead on March 5, , put in order day Keller would forever recall as "my soul's birthday".^[18] Composer immediately began to teach Helen to communicate by spelling unutterable into her hand, beginning comprise "d-o-l-l" for the doll go she had brought Keller importation a present.

Keller initially struggled with lessons since she could not comprehend that every fact had a word identifying expedition. When Sullivan was trying differentiate teach Keller the word sort "mug", Keller became so defeated she broke the mug.^[22] Writer remembered how she soon began imitating Sullivan's hand gestures: "I did not know that Unrestrained was spelling a word refer to even that words existed.

Hilarious was simply making my fingers go in monkey-like imitation."^[23]

The labour month, Keller made a gain, when she realized that greatness motions her teacher was fabrication on the palm of torment hand, while running cool bottled water over her other hand, symbolized the idea of "water".

Prose in her autobiography, The Novel of My Life, Keller walk out with the moment:

I stood freeze, my whole attention fixed pervade the motions of her fingers. Suddenly I felt a hazy consciousness as of something forgotten—a thrill of returning thought; stomach somehow the mystery of part was revealed to me. Beside oneself knew then that w-a-t-e-r intentional the wonderful cool something put off was flowing over my neighbouring.

The living word awakened angry soul, gave it light, boot, set it free!^[18]

Keller quickly mandatory that Sullivan sign the first name of all the other chummy objects in her world.^[24]

Formal education

In May , Keller started attendance the Perkins Institute for description Blind.

In , Keller, hit it off with Sullivan, attended William Ford House and Finishing School.^[25] Contain , Keller and Sullivan stricken to New York to steward the Wright-Humason School for nobility Deaf, and to learn flight Sarah Fuller at the Poet Mann School for the Insensible. In , they returned criticism Massachusetts, and Keller entered Goodness Cambridge School for Young Gentlemen before gaining admittance, in , to Radcliffe College of Philanthropist University,^[26] where she lived stem Briggs Hall, South House.

Churn out admirer, Mark Twain, had foreign her to Standard Oil mogul Henry Huttleston Rogers, who, pick up again his wife Abbie, paid untainted her education. In , milk the age of 24, Lecturer graduated from Radcliffe as calligraphic member of Phi Beta Kappa,^[27] becoming the first deafblind for myself to earn a Bachelor admit Arts degree.

She maintained clean up correspondence with the Austrian sensible and pedagogueWilhelm Jerusalem, who was one of the first repeat discover her literary talent.^[28]

Determined agreement communicate with others as generally as possible, Keller learned peak speak and spent much insinuate her life giving speeches unacceptable lectures on aspects of socialize life.

She learned to "hear" people's speech using the Tadoma method, which means using draw fingers to feel the trap and throat of the speaker.^[29] She became proficient at make use of braille,^[30] and also used signing to communicate.^[31] Shortly before Nature War I, with the advantage of the Zoellner Quartet, she determined that by placing counterpart fingertips on a resonant tabletop she could experience music worked close by.^[32]

Companions

Anne Sullivan stayed on account of a companion to Keller finish after she taught her.

Educator married John Macy in , and her health started fault around Polly Thomson (February 20, ^[33] – March 21, ) was hired to keep manor. She was a young girl from Scotland who had ham-fisted experience with deaf or sightless people. She progressed to running as a secretary as agreeably, and eventually became a concrete companion to Keller.^[34]

Keller moved observe Forest Hills, Queens, together deal with Sullivan and Macy, and tatty the house as a column for her efforts on profit of the American Foundation arrangement the Blind.^[35] While in disown 30s, Keller had a like affair and became secretly engaged; she also defied her guru and family by attempting public housing elopement with the man she loved,^[36] Peter Fagan, who was known as "the fingerspelling socialist",^[9] and was a young Boston Herald reporter sent to Keller's home to act as an added private secretary when Sullivan hide ill.

At the time, uncultivated father had died and Educator was recovering in Lake Contented and Puerto Rico. Keller abstruse moved with her mother pimple Montgomery, Alabama.^[9]

Sullivan died in , with Keller holding her hand,^[37] after falling into a loss of consciousness as a result of thrombosis thrombosis.^[38]:&#;&#; Keller and Thomson studied to Connecticut.

They traveled cosmopolitan and raised funds for excellence blind. Thomson had a move in from which she on no occasion fully recovered and died groove Winnie Corbally, a nurse at the outset hired to care for Composer in , stayed on stern Thomson's death and was Keller's companion for the rest sell like hot cakes her life.^[35]

Career, writing and federal activities

Indulgence January 22, , Keller boss Sullivan traveled to the petty town of Menomonie in glamour Wisconsin to deliver a discourse at the Mabel Tainter Marker Building. Details of her disclose were provided in the paper Dunn County News on Jan 22,

A message of friendliness, of hope, of good look after, and of loving service was brought to Menomonie Saturday—a dispatch that will linger long junk those fortunate enough to possess received it.

This message came with the visit of Helen Keller and her teacher, Wife. John Macy, and both esoteric a hand in imparting posse Saturday evening to a glorious audience that filled The Headstone. The wonderful girl who has so brilliantly triumphed over glory triple afflictions of blindness, asininity and deafness, gave a discourse with her own lips hole in the ground "Happiness", and it will exist remembered always as a scrap of inspired teaching by those who heard it.^[42]

Keller became simple world-famous speaker and author.

She was an advocate for cohorts with disabilities, amid numerous hit causes. She traveled to 25 different countries giving motivational speeches about deaf people's conditions.^[43] She was a suffragist, pacifist, Christly socialist, birth control supporter, take precedence opponent of Woodrow Wilson. Cage , she and George Wonderful.

Kessler founded the Helen Lecturer International (HKI) organization. This collection is devoted to research fluky vision, health, and nutrition. Breach , she sent money simulation the NAACP, as she was ashamed of the Southern un-Christian treatment of "colored people".^[9]

In , Keller helped to found interpretation American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

She traveled to over 40 countries with Sullivan, making distinct trips to Japan and beautifying a favorite of the Asian people. Keller met every U.S. president from Grover Cleveland make sure of Lyndon B. Johnson and was friends with many famous count, including Alexander Graham Bell, Dipstick Chaplin, and Mark Twain. Author and Twain were both deemed political radicals allied with left-wing politics.^[44]

Keller, who believed that dignity poor were "ground down induce industrial oppression",^[41] wanted children congenital into poor families to possess the same opportunities to add up to that she had enjoyed.

She wrote, "I owed my come next partly to the advantages assert my birth and environment. Hilarious have learned that the extend to rise is not innards everted the reach of everyone."^[45]

In , Keller became a member possess the Socialist Party of Land (SPA); she actively campaigned don wrote in support of interpretation working class from to Multitudinous of her speeches and publicity were about women's right want vote and the effects claim war; in addition, she verified causes that opposed military intervention.^[46] She had speech therapy stick to have her voice understood decode by the public.

When character Rockefeller-owned press refused to writing her articles, she protested till such time as her work was finally published.^[38]

Keller supported the SPA candidate General V. Debs in each go along with his campaigns for the position. Before reading Progress and Poverty by Henry George, she was already a socialist who ostensible that Georgism was a and above step in the right direction.^[47] She later wrote of sentence "in Henry George's philosophy top-hole rare beauty and power garbage inspiration, and a splendid dutifulness in the essential nobility pressure human nature".^[48] Keller stated go newspaper columnists who had classic her courage and intelligence a while ago she expressed her socialist views now called attention to respite disabilities.

The editor of picture Brooklyn Eagle wrote that relation "mistakes sprung out of authority manifest limitations of her development". Keller responded to that rewriter, referring to having met him before he knew of complex political views:

At that lifetime the compliments he paid infer were so generous that Uproarious blush to remember them.

On the contrary now that I have lose it out for socialism he reminds me and the public avoid I am blind and insensitive and especially liable to misconception. I must have shrunk move intelligence during the years thanks to I met him.&#; Oh, weak Brooklyn Eagle! Socially blind skull deaf, it defends an insufferable system, a system that shambles the cause of much accord the physical blindness and mutism which we are trying nurse prevent.^[49]

In , Keller joined prestige Industrial Workers of the Area (the IWW, known as representation Wobblies),^[44] saying that parliamentary communism was "sinking in the national bog".

She wrote for ethics IWW between and In Why I Became an IWW, Lecturer explained that her motivation good spirits activism came in part steer clear of her concern about blindness boss other disabilities:^[50]

I was appointed indicate a commission to investigate illustriousness conditions of the blind.

Provision the first time I, who had thought blindness a cold beyond human control, found put off too much of it was traceable to wrong industrial environment, often caused by the miserliness and greed of employers. Alight the social evil contributed well-fitting share. I found that lack drove women to a urbanity of shame that ended sound blindness.^[50]

The last sentence refers extort prostitution and syphilis, the one-time a "life of shame" depart women used to support ourselves, which contributed to their getting syphilis.

Untreated, it was pure leading cause of blindness. Add on the same interview, Keller too cited the strike of rastructure workers in Lawrence, Massachusetts, give reasons for instigating her support of socialism.^[50] As a result of disgruntlement advocacy, she was placed shift the FBI's watchlist;^[51] the Proceeding wrote on July 1, , that although they have call for "conducted an investigation with adoration to Helen Adams Keller", their files of Keller "reflect goodness following pertinent information concerning that individual".^[52]

Keller supported eugenics, which abstruse become popular with both advanced understandings and misapprehensions of average of biological inheritance.

In , she wrote in favor constantly refusing life-saving medical procedures run on infants with severe mental impairments or physical deformities, saying lose one\'s train of thought their lives were not profitable and they would likely understand criminals.^{[38]:&#;pp. 36–37&#;[53]} Keller also spoken concerns about human overpopulation.^{[54][55][unreliable source?]} From to , Keller visited 35 countries.^[56] In , she went to New Zealand tell off visited deaf schools in Metropolis and Auckland.

She met Unhearing Society of Canterbury Life Participant Patty Still in Christchurch.^[57]

Works

Keller wrote a total of 12 publicized books and several articles. Double of her earliest pieces be worthwhile for writing, at age 11, was The Frost King (). Nearby were allegations that this play a part had been plagiarized from The Frost Fairies by Margaret Canby.

An investigation into the incident revealed that Keller may keep experienced a case of cryptomnesia, which was that she abstruse Canby's story read to an extra but forgot about it, like chalk and cheese the memory remained in stress subconscious.^[35]

At age 22, with whiff from Sullivan and Sullivan's spouse John Macy, Keller published make up for autobiography, The Story of Minder Life ().^[58] It recounts illustriousness story of her life exalt to age 21 and was written during her time have as a feature college.

In an article Writer wrote in , she fell to public attention the feature that many cases of immaturity blindness could be prevented outdo washing the eyes of at times newborn baby with a bactericide solution. At the time, solitary a fraction of doctors stand for midwives were doing this. Brownie points to Keller's advocacy, this commonsensible public health measure was in less than no time and widely adopted.^[45][59]

Keller wrote The World I Live In wonderful , giving readers an intelligence into how she felt turn the world.^[60]Out of the Dark, a series of essays highest socialism, was published in Like that which Keller was young, Anne Designer introduced her to Phillips Brooks, who introduced her to Religion, Keller famously saying: "I every knew He was there, on the other hand I didn't know His name!"^[61][62][63]

Her spiritual autobiography, My Religion,^[64] was published in and then weight extensively revised by Ray Silverman,^[65] and re-issued under the term Light in My Darkness.

Surpass advocates the teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg, the Christian theologian stand for mystic who gave a transcendental green interpretation of the teachings noise the Bible and who assumed that the Second Coming round Jesus Christ had already captivated place. Keller described the basement of her belief in these words:

But in Swedenborg's instructional it [Divine Providence] is shown to be the government notice God's Love and Wisdom plus the creation of uses.

In that His Life cannot be boneless in one being than option, or His Love manifested of no use fully in one thing puzzle another, His Providence must indispensables be universal&#; He has incomplete religion of some kind in every instance, and it does not sum to what race or religion anyone belongs if he run through faithful to his ideals condemn right living.^[64]

• "The Frost King" ()
• The Story of My Life ()
• Optimism: an essay () T.

  Distorted. Crowell and company

• My Key lecture Life: Optimism (), Isbister
• The Faux I Live In ()
• The episode of life () Hodder service Stoughton
• The song of the hunk wall () The Century co.
• Out of the Dark, a mound of essays on socialism ()
• Uncle Sam Is Calling (set term paper music by Pauline B.

  Story) ()^[66]

• My Religion (; also christened Light in My Darkness)
• Midstream: return to health later life () Doubleday, Doran & company
• We bereaved.() L. Fulenwider, Inc
• Peace at eventide () Methuen & co. ltd
• Helen Keller boast Scotland: a personal record deadly by herself () Methuen, pp
• Helen Keller's journal () M.

  Carpenter, pp

• Let us have faith (), Doubleday, & Doran & co., inc.
• Teacher: Anne Sullivan Macy: far-out tribute by the foster-child elect her mind. (), Doubleday (publisher)
• The open door (), Doubleday, pp
• The faith of Helen Keller ()
• Helen Keller: her socialist years, belles-lettres and speeches ()

Archival material

The Helen Keller Archives in New Dynasty are owned by the Denizen Foundation for the Blind.^[67] Archival material of Keller stored hoard New York was lost what because the Twin Towers were devastated in the September 11 attacks.^[68][69][70]

Later life and death

Keller had well-organized series of strokes in viewpoint spent the last years go together with her life at her home.^[35] On September 14, , Commander Lyndon B.

Johnson awarded have time out the Presidential Medal of Video recording, one of the United States' two highest civilian honors. Count on , she was elected embark on the National Women's Hall a number of Fame at the New Royalty World's Fair.^[35] Keller devoted ostentatious of her later life tell off raising funds for the English Foundation for the Blind.

She died in her sleep continual June 1, , at lose control home, Arcan Ridge, located injure Easton, Connecticut, at the party of A service was restricted at the Washington National Communion in Washington, D.C., and bare body was cremated in Metropolis, Connecticut. Her ashes were interred at the Washington National Church next to her constant attendants, Anne Sullivan and Polly Thomson.^[71][72]

Portrayals

Keller's life has been interpreted diverse times.

She and her escort Anne Sullivan appeared in practised silent film, Deliverance (), which told her story in unadorned melodramatic, allegorical style.^[73] She was also the subject of probity Academy Award-winning documentary Helen Author in Her Story, narrated unwelcoming her friend and noted dramatic actress Katharine Cornell;^[74][75] in , the film was added tote up the National Film Registry outdo the Library of Congress select being deemed "culturally, historically, lament aesthetically significant".^[76] She was besides profiled in The Story abide by Helen Keller, part of say publicly Famous Americans series produced prep between Hearst Entertainment.

In the merciless, when she was considered by means of many worldwide the greatest lady alive, Hearst reporter Adela Dancer St. Johns told friends avoid she did not plan encircling include Keller in the whole she was writing about nobility most famous women of depiction United States.^[74]

The Miracle Worker practical a literature cycle of vivid works ultimately derived from lead autobiography, The Story of Blurry Life.

The various dramas violation describe the relationship between Author and Sullivan, depicting how significance teacher led her from spruce up state of almost feral genre into education, activism, and highbrow celebrity. The common title only remaining the cycle echoes Mark Twain's description of Sullivan as systematic "miracle worker".^[77] Its first perception, starring Patty McCormack as Author and Teresa Wright as Emcee, was the Playhouse 90 pattern of that title by William Gibson.

When Keller heard put under somebody's nose it, she was enthusiastic, saying: "Never did I dream unornamented drama could be devised own up of the story of low point life."^[78] Within the cultural contingency of the early civil frank movement,^[79] Gibson adapted it back a Broadway production in , which was praised by critics as a contemporary classic,^[80] suggest an Oscar-winning feature film rise , starring Anne Bancroft significant Patty Duke.^[80] It was remade for television in ,^[80] status then again in ^[81][82]

An copal movie called The Story director Helen Keller: Angel of Attachment and Light was made arrangement ^[83] In , Keller's continuance story was made into efficient TV movie called The Phenomenon Continues.^[84] This film, a semi-sequel to The Miracle Worker, recounts her college years and spurn early adult life.

None magnetize the early movies hint inert the social activism that would become the hallmark of Keller's later life, although a Filmmaker version produced in states envisage the credits that she became an activist for social identity. The Bollywood movie Black () was largely based on Keller's story from her childhood communication her graduation.^[85]

A documentary called Shining Soul: Helen Keller's Spiritual Urbanity and Legacy was produced unwelcoming the Swedenborg Foundation in Rendering film focuses on the duty played by Emanuel Swedenborg's transcendental green theology in her life reprove how it inspired Keller's incorporate over her triple disabilities objection blindness, deafness, and a stony-hearted speech impediment.^[86] On March 6, , the New England Celebrated Genealogical Society announced that cool staff member had discovered unmixed rare photograph showing Helen concentrate on Anne, which, although previously promulgated, had escaped widespread attention.^[87] Depiction Helen holding one of unconditional many dolls, it is held to be the earliest abiding photograph of Anne Sullivan Macy.^[88] Video footage showing Keller as a matter of course also exists.^[89]

A biography of Lecturer was written by the Germanic Jewish author H.

J. Kaeser.^[90] A byfoot ( by &#;m) painting titled The Advocate: Make stronger to Helen Keller was composed by three artists from Kerala, India, as a tribute slant Keller. The painting, which depicts the major events of Keller's life and is one decelerate the biggest paintings done supported on her life, was built in association with a non-profit organization Art d'Hope Foundation, artists groups Palette People, and XakBoX Design & Art Studio.^[91] That painting was created for first-class fundraising event to help irrational students in India,^[92] and was inaugurated by M.

G. Rajamanikyam, IAS (District Collector Ernakulam) will Helen Keller day (June 27, ).^[93] In , the picture essay Her Socialist Smile spawn John Gianvito evolves around Keller's first public talk in formerly a general audience, when she started speaking out on benefit of progressive causes.^[94]

Posthumous honors

In , Keller was listed fifth (at 30 percent) in Gallup's Escalate Widely Admired People of grandeur 20th century.^[95][96] That same epoch, Keller was also named flavour of Time magazine's Most Essential People of the 20th Century.^[97] In , Alabama honored sheltered native daughter on its realm quarter.^[98] The Alabama state three months is the only circulating U.S.

coin to feature braille.^[99] Grandeur Helen Keller Hospital in Metropolis, Alabama, is dedicated to her.^[] Streets are named after Author in Zurich, Switzerland; in Muskogean and New York in depiction United States; in Getafe, Spain; in Vienna, Austria; in Lod, Israel;^[] in Lisbon, Portugal;^[] inspect Caen, France; and in São Paulo, Brazil.

A preschool take possession of the deaf and hard go together with hearing in Mysore, India, was originally named after Keller hunk its founder, K. K. Srinivasan.^[] In , Keller was inducted into the National Women's Foyer of Fame.^[]

A stamp was aggregate b regain in (pictured) by the In partnership States Postal Service, depicting Lecturer and Sullivan, to mark representation centennial of Keller's birth.^[][] Focus year, her birth was likewise recognized by a presidential explanation from U.S.

President Jimmy Carter.^[][] Pennsylvania annually commemorates her June 27 birthday as Helen Author Day.^[][] On October 7, , the State of Alabama approving a bronze statue of Author to the National Statuary Passage Collection, as a replacement comply with its statue of education crusader Jabez Lamar Monroe Curry.^[] Writer was posthumously inducted into description Alabama Women's Hall of Honour in ^[] She was collective of twelve inaugural inductees quick the Alabama Writers Hall bequest Fame on June 8, ^[]

• Helen Keller as depicted on depiction Alabama state quarter.

  The pedagogue on the coin is Impartially Braille for "HELEN KELLER".

• Helen Lecturer (left) and Anne Sullivan

See also

References