Helen Keller

Lore & Background

Helen Keller was born on June 27, 1880, in Tuscumbia, Alabama, to Arthur Henley Keller and Catherine Everett Keller. At 19 months old, she contracted an unknown illness—possibly meningitis, rubella, or scarlet fever—that left her permanently blind and deaf. Until age seven, she communicated using home signs. In 1886, her mother, inspired by Charles Dickens' account of Laura Bridgman, sought help from physician J. Julian Chisholm, who referred them to Alexander Graham Bell. Bell advised contacting the Perkins Institute for the Blind, which sent Anne Sullivan to become Keller's instructor. Sullivan arrived on March 5, 1887, and taught Keller language by spelling words into her hand. Keller's breakthrough came when she understood that the motions for 'water' symbolized the cool liquid flowing over her hand.

Keller attended the Perkins Institute, the Wright-Humason School for the Deaf, and the Cambridge School for Young Ladies before entering Radcliffe College of Harvard University in 1900. She graduated in 1904 as a member of Phi Beta Kappa, becoming the first deafblind person in the U.S. to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. She learned to speak and used the Tadoma method to 'hear' speech. She also became proficient in braille and fingerspelling. Keller wrote 14 books and hundreds of speeches and essays on topics from animals to Mahatma Gandhi. She joined the Socialist Party of America in 1909 and was a founding member of the American Civil Liberties Union.

Anne Sullivan remained Keller's companion until Sullivan's death in 1936. Polly Thomson later became Keller's constant companion. Keller had a love affair and secret engagement with Peter Fagan, a young reporter, but the relationship did not result in marriage. Keller died on June 1, 1968.

Reader's Guide

Helen Keller's significance lies in her pioneering achievements as a deafblind person and her broad advocacy for social justice. By becoming the first deafblind person in the United States to earn a college diploma, she challenged prevailing assumptions about disability and demonstrated the potential of individuals with sensory impairments. Her autobiography, The Story of My Life (1903), publicized her education and life with Anne Sullivan, inspiring generations. Keller's activism extended beyond disability rights to include women's suffrage, labor rights, and world peace. Her membership in the Socialist Party of America and her role as a founding member of the American Civil Liberties Union reflect her commitment to systemic change. The theatrical adaptation and film The Miracle Worker (1959 and 1962) further cemented her story in popular culture. Her birthplace, Ivy Green, has been preserved as a National Historic Landmark and operates as a house museum, hosting an annual 'Helen Keller Day' since 1954. Keller's legacy endures as a symbol of resilience and the power of education and advocacy.

Did You Know?

• Keller was the first deafblind person in the United States to earn a college diploma, graduating from Radcliffe College in 1904.
• She had a love affair and became secretly engaged to Peter Fagan, a young Boston Herald reporter, but the relationship did not lead to marriage.
• Keller learned to 'hear' speech using the Tadoma method, placing her fingers on the lips and throat of the speaker.
• Her birthplace, Ivy Green, has been a National Historic Landmark and house museum since 1954, hosting an annual 'Helen Keller Day'.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"Helen Adams Keller (June 27, 1880 – June 1, 1968) was an American writer and social activist; an illness (possibly scarlet fever or meningitis) at the age of 19 months left her deaf and blind." — Helen Keller "One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar." — Helen Keller "The bulk of the world's knowledge is an imaginary construction." — Helen Keller "The World I live in (1910) chapter 8, The Five-sensed World Quoted in: (2002) "The World I live in". Organization & Environment 15 (3): 289." — Helen Keller