Evening star., 1936-04-05
Dean of Women at GalLaudet
Has Unusual Background
Miss Elizabeth Peet's
FOrebears Pioneers
In Teaching Deaf.
Is Third Generation IL,
Direct Line Brilliant
In Particular Field.
BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.

BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.
No other school woman in America
has the heritage for her field Of pro-
fessional service that has been vouch-
safed Miss Elizabeth Peet, dean of
women Of Gallaudet College. With
its campus and hundred-acre farm
only short distance from the Cap
itol itself, Gallaudet constitutes not
only the one college for the deaf in
Washington. but the only one to be
found anywhere the wide world over.
We are all more or less the sum
of our forebears, but very few Of US
have been vouchsafed such q back
ground of educational pioneers in
service for the deaf as Is Miss Peet's.
Neither is it given to many Of us
to have won place Of distinction
for ones self in the institution whose
Hall Of Fame signalizes the achieve
ments of ones grandfather and father.
This honor is Miss Peet's. Since 1922
a Peet has been famous in the ad-
vancement Of education for the deaf.
Line Is Unbroken.
Dean Peet is the third generation
in direct line to become nationally
distinguished as teacher of the
deaf. From grandfather DR.. Harvey
Prindle Peet to granddaughter Eliza
beth Peet by DR.. Isaac Lewis Peet
the line is an unbroken one.
AS her mother was totally deaf,
sign language was the first the chill
dren knew. Elizabeth, like her broth
ers, found it just as easy to talk with
her fingers as with her vocal organs.
Inseparably associated for four gen.
erations in the teaching of deaf in
America are the names Of Peet and
Gallaudet. Theirs Is joint chapter
of romance, of achievement and Of
Christian service whose equal in their
chosen field Of educational endeavor is
not to be found in the annals Of
American biography.
1t was they who, as educators. were
responsible for many Of the ideas
now in use in the instruction Of the
deaf. Their energy largely motivated
public thinking to the point of making
the inclusion Of education for the
deaf as much a part Of Americas
educational system as our public
schools. Because Of the opportunities
made possible by the GallaudetS and
the Peets many deaf persons have
accepted their handicap as challenge
and risen to unusual heights.
GalIaudet Gets Credit.
The beginnings of instruction for
the deaf in the United States go back
to Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet of
Hartford. Conn, who, as young man,
became interested in teaching little
Alice Cogswell, the deaf daughter
Of prominent Hartford physician.
Il is said he first conveyed thought
to Alice by writing the word hat" in
the sand with stick and then point
ing to his own hat. Today the worlds
only college for the deaf bears his
name. Made possible through the
contributions Of the deaf OF America,
a bronze statue of DR.. Gallaudet
teaching little Alice Cogswell stands
in front of the college chapel. 1t Is
the work of Daniel Chester French.
So impressed were DR.. Cogswell and
other eminent citizens of Hartford
with the possibilities of teaching the
deaf that they sent Gallaudet to Eu-
rope to acquire a knowledge Of the
methods pursued there.
Upon his return, accompanied by
Laurent Clerc, young deaf mute and
a graduate of Able Sicard's School for
the Deaf in Paris, Gallaudet founded.
in 1917, the first school for the deaf
in America, in Hartford. The first
pupil was Alice Cogswell. Another was
Sophia Fowler, with whom Gallaudet
later fell in love and married. Their
youngest son, Edward, made possible
the founding Of college for the deaf
and served as its first president until
his death
The Sophia Fowler Residence Hall
for Women honors the memory of the
wife Of Thomas Gallaudet and the
mother of Edward Gallaudet. When
Edward was called to Washington, she
not only accompanied him, but served
as the first matron Of the school.
Studied for Ministry.
Harvey Prindle Peet, one of the 10
honor men Of his class, was intending
to devote himself to the ministry, for
on his mothers side there had been q
strong trend in that direction from
Revolutionary War days, when Rev.
Isaac Lewis Peet served his country as
an Army chaplain. Persuaded instead
by Mr.. Gallaudet to try teaching the
deaf, this field became his lifework.
The fruit of his labors in his chosen
field may be judged from this comment
concerning him In the Annals Of the
Deaf" I'm America, Harvey Prindle
Peet was acknowledge as leader; in
Europe, his name Is better known in
his profession than any other except
that of Gallaudet."
Oddly enough, during the year that
the first school for the deaf was
opened in Hartford, similar school
was chartered in New York City. But
it seemed the latter school couldn't get
under way, and, even when it did, its
struggles were fitful ones. In despera-
tion its board OF managers, IN 1885,
to Thomas Gallaudet to Sc
cure some one who could reorganize
and direct their work. Mr.. Gallaudet
Harvey Prindle Peet.
With a mere handful of students, DR..
Peet took over the New York School
for the Deaf and the Dumb, and, un-
der the A years Of his direction, it
became the leading institution of its
kind in America, perhaps in the world.
The regents Of New York University
him with the degree Of doctor
Of laws.
Followed Fathers Steps.
DR.. Peet's son, Isaac Lewis, likewise
consecrated himself to this same work,
first serving the school as his fathers
and then succeeding him as
director. The joint service Of father