Anne Sullivan - Feeding Hills, MA
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 42° 04.005 W 072° 40.702
18T E 692076 N 4659795
Anne Sullivan was an Irish-American who was best known for being the teacher and life long companion of Helen Keller. A memorial to Anne Sullivan is located a short distance from her birthplace in Feeding Hill.
Waymark Code: WMHWM1
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 08/20/2013
Views: 7
Johanna "Anne" Mansfield Sullivan was born on April 14, 1866 in Feeding Hills, Agawam, Massachusetts. Her parents Thomas and Alice (née Cloesy) Sullivan, were impoverished and illiterate Irish immigrants who immigrated to the United States from Ireland during the Great Famine of the 1840s.
Anne, who was nearly blind from an untreated eye infection, became a student at the Perkins School for the Blind in Boston. The director of the Institute recommended her to the Keller family as a teacher for the young deaf-blind Helen Keller (1880-1968).
Anne Sullivan's strategy was to teach Helen to communicate by spelling words into her hand. After many unsuccessful attempts Helen finally realized that the motions Anne made in her hand, while running water over her other hand, meant "water".
Helen went on to become the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree and became a prolific author, lecturer and social activist. Anne and Helen became lifelong companions and worked together to champion the education and social acceptance of the deaf and blind. Their story is recounted in the 1962 Academy Award winning film "The Miracle Worker". Anne Bancroft won an Oscar for her portrayal of Anne Sullivan.
The 3' high granite memorial contains two bronze plaques. The front plaque is inscribed:
Anne Sullivan
1866 {Bas Relief Bust of Anne Sullivan} 1936
"Teacher"
of
Helen Keller
Heroic Friend Of
The Deaf And Blind
Native Of Feeding Hills
The back plaque is inscribed in Braille.