Grave of a Famous Person: Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet - Hartford, CT

Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet

Cedar Hill Cemetery

Hartford, CT

N 41° 43.218 W 072° 41.911

Short Description: 

The grave of educator of the deaf and author of children's books on theological topics and Biblical biographies Reverend Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet is located in Cedar hill Cemetery, 453 Fairfield, Avenue, Hartford, CT.

Long Description:

Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet is buried in a large family plot that has center is a tall base topped with an urn and is inscribed GALLAUDET on the side facing the graves of family members. A ground level granite grave marker is inscribed:

THOMAS H. GALLAUDET,

BORN DEC. 10, 1787,

DIED SEPT. 10, 1851

The Reverend Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet was born in Philadelphia, PA on December 10, 1787. His family moved to Hartford, CT when he was 13 years old. He graduated Yale University with highest honors in 1805, and then earned a master's degree from Yale in 1808. He became a minister upon graduation from Andover Theological Seminary in 1815.

As a pastor Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet met a deaf-mute child, Alice Cogswell, whose father, Dr. Mason Cogswell, wished to establish a special school for deaf children. Gallaudet went to Europe in 1815 to study established systems of symbolic instruction for the deaf. There he met Laurent Clerc who took him to Paris to learn Abbé Sicard's method for teaching deaf-mutes. Gallaudet mastered his methods and returned to America and on April 15, 1817 established with Laurent Clerc and Mason Cogswell the first institution for the education of the deaf in North America, now known as the American School for the Deaf. In 1894 Gallaudet University was named in honor. He was honored by the United States Postal Service with a 20 cent stamp in the Great American Series.

In addition, The Reverend Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet used his theological background to become a prolific author writing a series of books about on theology and Biblical topics mostly for young children. Among the books he wrote are:

The Child's Book on the Soul
The Child's Book on Repentance: Designed Also for Older Persons
The Youth's Book on Natural Theology
The Child's Book on the Fall of Man
Scripture Biography for the Young: Adam to Jacob
Scripture Biography for the Young: David and Solomon, Including Saul and Rehoboam
Scripture Biography for the Young: Moses
Scripture Biography for the Young: Joshua and Judges
Solomon to Ahaz: Including Rehoboam, Jeroboam, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Ahab, Jehu, Elijah, Elisha, and Jonah
The History of Jonah for Children
The History of Josiah, the Young King of Judah
The History of Joseph, for children and youth; designed also as an aid to familiar Biblical exposition in families, Sabbath schools, and Bible classes
The Mother's Primer, to Teach Her Child Its Letters and how to Read: Designed Also for the Lowest Class in Primary Schools on a New Plan
The Child's Picture Defining and Reading Book
Discourses