And so it began, On The Back Roads: in the Henniker home of Thomas Brown
On January 4, 1854, the Constitutional Committee gathered in Henniker, New Hampshire, with the important task of drafting a constitution and conducting other necessary business for the creation of a Proposed Society of Deaf Mutes. This significant meeting took place at the home of Mr. Thomas Brown, who served as the Committee’s Chairman and provided the venue for this foundational event.
Committee Composition and Appointment
The Committee, comprising representatives from each of the New England States, except Rhode Island, convened in Montpelier, Vermont, on February 24, 1853, to take the first steps toward organizing the Society of Deaf Mutes and addressing its fundamental requirements.
I believe that the historical record is clear. The movement to create and improve the lives of those who lived in the Deaf-World in the United States originated in a triangle of New England Deaf communities that flourished early in the nineteenth century: Henniker, New Hampshire; Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts; and the Sandy River Valley, Maine.
The Brown family tree is quite complex. I am not writing this as a study in genealogy! But it is important to know the beginnings of this incredible Henniker story.
The first great American Deaf leader was Thomas Brown (1804–1886), who was born in Henniker.
But our story starts with Thomas Brown’s grandfather, also named Thomas, who moved from Stow, Massachusetts, to Henniker.
The best record we can reconstruct is that Grandfather Thomas was the first Deaf-Mute in the family.
Henniker Thomas became educated, among the first Deaf-Mutes in the nation to do so, and emerged as a preeminent Deaf leader, beginning in the midcentury.
The proposed Society of Deaf Mutes was created by a group of Thomas’s friends gathered in the Brown household to draft a constitution for the first enduring Deaf organization in the United States, the New England Gallaudet Association of Deaf Mutes.
Thomas studied under the founders of American Deaf education, the Deaf Frenchman Laurent Clerc and the hearing American Thomas Gallaudet, and under an intellectual leader of the profession, Harvey Peet, who would later direct the New York School for the Deaf (Lane 1984).
The town of Henniker annually voted funds to assist Thomas in paying his educational expenses until the state legislature undertook to pay for Deaf-Mute pupils from New Hampshire (T. L. Brown 1888). .
Thomas Brown’s Legacy and the Gallaudet Connection
One of the most fascinating aspects of Thomas Brown’s story is his association with Thomas Gallaudet. This connection highlights the impact that early Deaf leaders had on the development of Deaf education in America.
Gallaudet University: Foundation and Purpose
Thomas Gallaudet established Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. on April 8, 1864. The university was founded as a private, federally chartered institution, specifically created to provide educational opportunities for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. As the first institution of its kind, Gallaudet University remains unique in offering specialized programs and services tailored to its student body’s needs.
The Origin of the Football Huddle
In 1894, during a football game between the Gallaudet team and another deaf team, quarterback Paul Hubbard introduced a new strategy. Concerned that the opposing team would observe and understand his use of American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate plays, Hubbard instructed his teammates to form a tight circle. This formation, now known as the huddle, ensured that their strategy remained confidential.
The next time you watch any sports team gather to discuss strategy, remember the contributions of Thomas Brown and the town of Henniker. Their influence continues to be felt in both Deaf History and American sports culture.
Deaf History Month
National Deaf History Month is celebrated every year from March 13th to April 15th(changed in 2022 to April 1st to April 30th) to honor the accomplishments of people who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Deaf History Month is celebrated because of three main events in the history of Deaf Education.
- On April 15, 1817, America’s first school for the Deaf was opened in Hartford, Connecticut.
- On April 8, 1864, Gallaudet University (the first institution of higher education for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing) was officially founded.
- On March 13, 1988, Gallaudet University hired its first Deaf president.
OHB On The Back Roads…keeping it real…I am the real Brother Louie!