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HELENKELLERHELENKELLER

20th CENTURY BIOGRAPHIES20th CENTURY BIOGRAPHIES

SHEOVERCAME

GREATOBSTACLES

AND INSPIREDTHE WORLD

BY ANNE SCHRAFF

At an early age, Helen Keller lost both her sight andhearing. Frustration made her a difficult child, until shemet Anne Sullivan. With Anne’s help, Helen learned tocommunicate. She became a strong minded woman whoshared her thoughts and her inspiration with the world.See how Helen conquered her disabilities. Learn how shecame to be a light in the lives of so many people.

Cesar ChavezAlbert Einstein

Anne FrankMahatma Gandhi

Helen KellerMartin Luther King Jr.

Charles LindberghRosa Parks

Jackie RobinsonFranklin Delano Roosevelt

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20th Biographies Covers 9/17/07 2:01 PM Page 7

HELENKELLER

BY ANNE SCHRAFF

Keller Book 9/17/07 1:52 PM Page 1

Development: Kent Publishing Services, Inc.

Design and Production: Signature Design Group, Inc.

SADDLEBACK EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHING

Three Watson

Irvine, CA 92618-2767

Web site: www.sdlback.com

Photo Credits: page 33, Library of Congress; page 45, Zuma Press; page 51, Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Copyright © 2008 by Saddleback Educational Publishing. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproducedin any form or by any means, electronic or mechanicalincluding photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permissionof the publisher.

ISBN-10: 1-59905-249-0

ISBN-13: 978-1-59905-249-6

eBook: 978-1-60291-610-4

Printed in the United States of America

1 2 3 4 5 6 10 09 08 07


T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

Chapter 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Chapter 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Chapter 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Chapter 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Chapter 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Chapter 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Chapter 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Chapter 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Chapter 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Chapter 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64


When Helen Keller fell ill with aterrible fever as a toddler, she was leftblind and deaf. Most people had littlehope that Helen would have aproductive life. With such a severedisability, she would surely live her lifein the shadows.

But, Helen reached out for educationand a full life. In doing so, she foreverchanged the way disabled people areseen. Helen was a trailblazer. Sheshowed America and the world that

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C H A P T E R 1


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physical disabilities were less importantthan a courageous heart and spirit.

Helen Adams Keller was born on June27, 1880. She was born in Tuscumbia,Alabama, a small country town. Herfather, Arthur Henley Keller, was aveteran of the Civil War. He was acaptain in the southern Confederacy.He later became a cotton plantationowner and editor of the local newspaper,the Alabamian.

Arthur Keller was a widower with twosons when he married Kate Adams. Shewas twenty years younger than him.Tall, blue-eyed Kate Adams helped herhusband run the plantation. Tosupplement the family finances, shemade her own butter, lard, bacon, andham.

The Kellers lived in a white house thatwas built fifty years earlier. Helen was


the couple’s first child. She was a bright,active baby, who spoke at six months ofage. At a year old, she could walk.

When her mother was bathing her oneday, Helen was fascinated by an objectthat was far away from her. She slid offher mother’s lap and went running toget it. She learned to walk and run at anearly age. Little Helen startled visitorsby calling out words like “wah-wah” forwater while still a baby.

In February 1882 when Helen wasnineteen-months-old, she became sickand feverish. The fever worsened. Herparents feared she would die. At thetime the illness was called “brain fever.”It was probably either meningitis orscarlet fever.

Helen was desperately ill for severaldays. But the fever went away and sherecovered. Helen’s parents did not

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immediately realize the terrible thingthat had happened to their daughter.

Gradually, there were frighteningindications that she had lost her hearingand her sight. When the dinner bellrang, Helen did not respond. When hermother passed her hand in front ofHelen’s face, the child did not seem tonotice. It was obvious that she was blindand deaf as a result of the illness.

Helen clung to her mother’s skirts forthe first few weeks after the illness. Shespent most of her time in her mother’slap.

The only way Helen could makeherself understood to her family was toshake her head for “no” and nod for“yes.” She learned to act out her desires.If she wanted some buttered bread, shepretended she was cutting bread off theloaf and then buttering it.


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Helen was a clever little girl. She soonlearned to take the laundry from thebasket and put it away neatly. Sherecognized her own garments from therest. Sometimes, Helen touched hermother’s lips and realized she wastalking. But Helen could not hear whatshe was saying.

The little girl knew she was differentbecause she did not talk. Helen triedmoving her lips but since she could nothear, she did not make recognizablesounds.

Helen had periods of frustration abouther disability. She kicked and screamedin wild tantrums until she was so tiredshe fell to the floor and slept. Relativesand friends were horrified at the girl’stantrums. Many believed she belongedin a hospital.


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Helen did find one playmate whounderstood her very well. MarthaWashington was the daughter of theKeller’s black cook. Blonde Helen anddark-haired Martha played togetherconstantly.

Joining the girls in their daily gameswas an old dog named Belle. Helen andMartha kneaded dough, made icecream, cut out paper dolls, and climbedtrees. They fed the hens and turkeys andhunted for eggs, which they brought infor breakfast. Martha could communicatewith Helen better than anyone else.


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Helen Keller loved Christmas becauseshe enjoyed picking over the raisins,grinding spices, and licking spoons. Shealso liked the wonderful kitchen smells.

One day, Helen spilled some water onher apron. She leaned close to the fire todry the cloth. Soon, she was on fire. Hernurse threw a blanket over her. Theblanket stifled the flames and saved herfrom serious injury.

C H A P T E R 2


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Helen was a mischievous child, whoonce locked her mother in the pantry.She sat outside the locked door laughingas she felt the pounding of her mother’sfist as she tried to escape.

When Helen was five, a sister,Mildred, was born. At first, Helen wasjealous of the baby. Helen was the oneusually sitting in her mother’s lap. Nowthat spot was taken by Mildred.

Helen had a doll named Nancy. Nancywas plain looking and worn, but muchloved by the little girl. Helen often putNancy in the baby cradle once occupiedby Helen herself. She loved to rockNancy in the cradle.

One day, she was about to put Nancyin the cradle, when she found Mildredasleep in the it. Helen flew into a wildrage. She violently overturned thecradle, sending Mildred flying. Only


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quick action by the girls’ mother savedMildred from injury.

Helen’s tantrums were growing moreviolent and troublesome as she grewolder. Her parents suffered from herdaily outbursts. No family meal couldbe eaten in peace. The little girl ranfrom place to place grabbing food andyelling.

Helen’s parents were desperate forsome way to help Helen and restorepeace to the family. They could not bearthe smashed dishes and lamps and thefierce screams anymore.

There were no specialists in blind anddeaf children in little Tuscumbia. So,Helen’s parents knew they had to lookelsewhere.


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Helen’s mother had just read a bookby Charles Dickens called AmericanNotes. One chapter described progressmade by an oculist from Baltimore,Maryland. He was working with a childwho was blind and deaf like Helen.

Kate Keller was filled with hope thatthe oculist might be able to help Helentoo. She headed for Baltimore withHelen.

Six-year-old Helen loved riding on thetrain. She was so thrilled by all the newexperiences that she did not even haveany tantrums. The other passengerswere touched and amused by the livelylittle blonde girl who hurried up anddown the aisles. Helen made friendswith everybody in the railroad car.

The Baltimore oculist examinedHelen and concluded that she could


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not be helped by surgery. But, hethought she could be taught to read andwrite. He suggested she be taken to anexpert in the problems of deaf children.The expert was Alexander Graham Bell,the inventor of the telephone.

Bell had a lifelong interest in the deaf.His father had discovered methods ofhelping deaf people. He passed hisinterest on to his son. At this time, Bellfelt that his most important work was inhelping the deaf.

Bell met Helen and her mother. Hesuggested that they contact MichaelAnagnos, director of the PerkinsInstitution. Bell thought Anagnos couldrecommend a good teacher for Helen.

The Kellers visited Anagnos. Hesuggested as Helen’s teacher a twenty-one-year-old woman who hadgraduated from the Perkins Institution—Anne Sullivan.


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Anne Sullivan was born in 1866 inFeeding Hills, Massachusetts. Herparents were Irish immigrants whocould not read or write. At age 5, Annecontracted trachoma, a serious eyedisease. The disease left her almostblind. She could only see blurry colors.

Anne’s mother died of tuberculosisand her father left. Ten year old Anneand her brother, Jimmie, were sent to apoorhouse. Jimmie then died oftuberculosis. But, at age fourteen, Annewas sent to Perkins Institution. An eyeoperation there permitted her to read.

Anne Sullivan found it difficult to findregular work. When Michael Anagnostold her about Helen Keller, she jumpedat the job offer. Anne had never taughtbefore, but she was sure she could helpthe little girl.


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On March 3, 1887, when Helen wasalmost seven-years-old, she met AnneSullivan. Helen knew that someone wascoming to teach her. She was veryexcited.

Helen detected the sense ofexpectation at the house. WhenSullivan appeared in the yard, Helenran to her. She flung herself at theyoung woman with such force thatSullivan almost fell over backwards.

Helen immediately began feelingAnne Sullivan’s face, dress, and bag.Sullivan was surprised by the strengthof the child.

Sullivan gave Helen a doll and sheplayed with it for a while. Sullivan tookHelen’s hand and spelled the letters d-o-l-l into the palm of her hand. Helenrepeated the finger movements on herown palm, but she did not understand


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what it all meant. Helen soon becamefrustrated. She hurled the doll to theground.

Anne Sullivan knew she had todiscipline Helen if she was going toteach her anything. Helen’s parents feltsorry for their blind and deaf daughter.They always gave in to her everydemand. Helen was a willful anddisobedient child as a result.

Anne Sullivan wanted to tame Helenwithout breaking her strong spirit. Sherealized she had a great task before her.


Helen refused to use utensils to eat.She preferred to use her fingers. She alsohad the habit of running around thetable snatching food from other peoples’dishes. Her parents let her get away withthis to avoid her tantrums.

Anne Sullivan refused to let her grabfood from her plate. Helen threw herselfon the floor and kicked and screamedfor half an hour. Then, she tried to pullSullivan’s chair out from under her.

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Finally, Helen pinched Sullivan whoslapped her.

It hurt Helen’s parents to see theirblind and deaf child punished this way.But, it was the only way to makechange.

It was decided that Anne Sullivan andHelen would move into the smallgarden house behind the main house.This would help Helen bond with herteacher. Also, it would spare the lovingparents the sight of any necessarydiscipline.

Sullivan told Helen that she wouldhave to learn to brush her own hair andbutton her shoes. Her mother wouldnot be doing these things for heranymore. Helen screamed and kicked.

The one thing that Helen did enjoywas when Sullivan wrote words in thepalm of her hand. So, every time Helen


had a tantrum, Sullivan stopped writingin her hand. This was a seriouspunishment.

Little by little, Helen’s behaviorimproved. Sullivan wrote more wordsinto her hand. Although Helen still didnot know what they all meant, she likedit. It was more communication than shehad ever had with anyone.

One day, April 5, 1887, Helen andAnne Sullivan walked down to the waterpump. Helen loved to go there becausethe smell of the honeysuckle vines wasso sweet.

Up until this point, the words spelledinto Helen’s hand were a mysteriousgame. She enjoyed the game, but didnot understand. She had no idea thewords stood for things. She did notknow that when the words were strungtogether, they made sentences andlanguage.20


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Sullivan took Helen’s hand and held itunder the water spout. She let the watersplash on her. On Helen’s other hand,Sullivan spelled the word w-a-t-e-r onthe child’s palm.

Anne Sullivan saw an expression onHelen’s face that she had never seenbefore. Helen looked thrilled. She hadfinally made the connection betweenthe letters spelled into her hand andsomething real—water.

Helen’s realization was called amiracle. Later on, Anne Sullivan wouldbe called a miracle worker for breakinginto the little girl’s dark world andbringing the light of knowledge.

Helen was very excited by thediscovery. She began racing aroundtouching other objects and askingSullivan to spell their names onto herpalm. She wanted the names of the


water pump and the trellis holding thehoneysuckle vine spelled into her hand.

Everything she touched she demandedto know its name. Finally, Helen turnedto Anne Sullivan and asked for hername. Sullivan took Helen’s hand andspelled the word “teacher” on her palm.

In the next few hours, Helen learnedthe spelling of thirty new words. In justone month after coming to the Kellerhome, Sullivan had achieved a majorbreakthrough. A wall between HelenKeller and the world had been torndown. She would now soak upknowledge like a sponge, always eagerfor more.

The more Helen learned, the happiershe became. Her progress was amazing.Her behavior problems improveddramatically as the world opened up forher.

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Five days after the water pumpincident, word of Helen’s progressreached Michael Anagnos. He wasdelighted. He was proud of Sullivan’ssuccess and Helen’s growth. Anagnosspread the word of the amazing littlegirl. Helen had benefited very muchfrom the teaching of a graduate ofPerkins Institution.

Anne Sullivan began teaching Helento read. She used letters that were raisedoff of the page. Then, she used theBraille system of raised dots thatrepresent letters of the alphabet. Shetaught Helen to write using what wascalled “square hand.” Square hand usesletters with straight lines and no curves.Helen was able to write a short letter toher mother.


When Helen Keller was only ten,there were photographs of her readingShakespeare and playing with her dog innewspapers. Michael Anagnos wasmaking her famous with articles abouther progress. Anne Sullivan took Helento visit Alexander Graham Bell andPresident Grover Cleveland at theWhite House.

In 1890 Helen lived at PerkinsInstitution during the school year. AnneSullivan went with her to continue her

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special education. Helen loved theschool because she was among childrenlike herself who were blind and deaf.Before, she had been the only differentone. But now she made friends withothers like her and felt totally accepted.

When Helen came home to Alabama,she was polite and delightful. Herparents enjoyed her. She could talk tothem with her fingers. But, Helen had apowerful desire to be able to talk withher voice.

There was nothing wrong with hervocal chords. She laughed and criednormally. But she became deaf beforeshe was old enough to hear speech andunderstand it. Because of that, she couldnot speak in a normal voice.

Helen began working with teachers bytouching their lips and throat as theyspoke. She imitated the movement, but


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her voice did not come out right. Still,she continued to try to speak.

When she was 11, Helen Keller wrotea fairy story titled “The Frost King.”She sent it to Michael Anagnos as abirthday gift to him. She loved him verymuch for all that he had done for her.

Anagnos was thrilled when he read thestory. He published it in a Perkinsmagazine as evidence of what a deaf andblind child could achieve. Sadly, Helenthought the story was original. But shehad a similar story spelled into her handyears earlier. That story was “The FrostFairies,” by Margaret Canby.

Apparently, Helen remembered thestory, and large parts of her story werevery similar to the earlier one. Whenthis was discovered, Anagnos was angry.He believed he had been deliberately


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deceived. His friendship with HelenKeller ended. This was heartbreakingfor the little girl.

For a long time, Helen Keller did nottrust her own thoughts. She was afraidto write other stories. She feared thatthey too were remembered words fromsomeone else.

In 1894 14-year-old Helen Kellerenrolled at the Wright-Humason Schoolfor the Deaf in New York City. Dr.Thomas Humason and John Wrightencouraged Helen’s hopes that shemight learn to speak. Anne Sullivancame with her. She attended classes withHelen. Anne spelled into Helen’s handwhat the teachers were saying.

Helen worked hard at the school. Shelearned many new skills. She learnedhow to play checkers, and she went


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horseback riding. She even took part ina school play. But, as hard as she tried,she could not speak well enough so thatstrangers could understand her.

Helen then began dreaming of doingsomething no blind and deaf person hadever done before. She wanted to go tocollege. In 1896 Helen enrolled at theCambridge School for Young Ladieswith Anne Sullivan to prepare forcollege.

Helen was now using a Braille writer.She read from embossed books withraised letters. She could use both aregular typewriter and a Braille one.

By this time, Helen had done a greatdeal of reading. She read histories aboutGreece, Rome, and the United States.She learned some French and Latingrammar. But many people still


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doubted that she could handle collegework, even with Anne Sullivan’s help.

Helen had made up her mind,however. She was going to enroll atRadcliffe College for Women, thecompanion school to HarvardUniversity. At the time, Harvard onlyadmitted men.

Helen Keller and Anne Sullivanarrived at Radcliffe College in 1900.They roomed off campus in a rentalhouse. It would be a monumentalstruggle for Helen. It would also be achallenge for Anne Sullivan, whose owneyesight was impaired.


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Helen Keller had great dreams aboutcollege life. But, she never realized howdifficult it would be for her to absorb somuch material.

Keller and Sullivan rode to schoolevery day on a tandem bicycle. They satnext to one another in class. Sullivanspelled into Keller’s hand as much of thelecture as she could.

Then, at night, Helen Keller typedwhat she remembered on her Brailletypewriter. She studied from those

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notes. Keller was often frustrated, butshe worked hard. When freshmanexams came, she passed in all hersubjects. Those subjects were French,German, history, English composition,and English literature.

Helen Keller’s political ideas began totake form. As a teenager, she had visitedthe slums of New York. She noticed theterrible smells and learned about thepoor, terrible lives of the people there.

She thought it was unfair thatanybody should live like this. Kellerbegan to think there was somethingwrong with the political system of thecountry. Some people were very rich,and others had almost nothing.

At the beginning of her sophomoreyear at Radcliffe, Keller was called fromclass one day. A man named William


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Alexander wanted to talk to her aboutwriting articles about her life. He wasthe editor of a popular magazine, theLadies Home Journal.

Helen Keller’s experience in collegewas a great human interest story. Kellerwas offered three thousand dollars forthe articles, a large sum of money.

At first, Keller was not sure she hadthe time to write the articles with thedemands of her college work. But JohnMacy, a twenty-five-year-old Englishliterature teacher at Harvard, helped herorganize her thoughts. The articlesappeared in the magazine. Helen Kellerwas proud and thrilled.

John Macy then promoted the articlesas a book. It was published as The Storyof My Life in 1903. It was not acommercial success, but it became aclassic book.


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On June 28, 1904, Helen Kellergraduated from Radcliffe College. Shehad earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)degree. She graduated cum laude, orwith honors. She became the first deafand blind person to graduate fromcollege with a B.A.

Portrait of Helen Keller


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Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan wentto live at Wrentham. It was a countryvillage about an hour away fromBoston, Massachusetts. Keller was notquite sure what her future held for her.She hoped she would be a writer.

Keller and Sullivan were very happytogether. They traveled and shopped fornice clothing. Then John Macy fell inlove with Anne Sullivan. He came oftento the Wrentham house and helped withrepairs. Finally, he asked Sullivan tomarry him.

Sullivan was ten years older thanMacy, but she loved him. She hesitatedin accepting his proposal. She worriedabout Helen. When Helen learned ofSullivan’s doubts, she gave her fullblessing to the marriage. On May 2,1905, in the flower-filled living room ofthe Wrentham house, the pair wasmarried. Keller was a joyous witness.


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After Anne and John Macy returnedfrom their honeymoon, they movedinto the Wrentham house. They livedthere with Helen Keller. The threebecame a close knit family.

Helen loved John like an olderbrother. They took long walks together.They sometimes played chess and talkedpolitics. John Macy was progressive inhis politics, leaning toward socialism.Helen agreed with that, but Anne wasmore conservative.

Household chores were dividedbetween the two women. Anne did thecooking and gardening. Helen clearedthe table, did the dishes, and made thebeds. Helen Keller and John Macydreamed of having great writing careers.All Anne Sullivan Macy wanted was a baby.


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In 1909 Helen Keller published TheWorld I Live In. It described hereveryday life. She began to get mailfrom all over the world from peoplewho read her books.

John Macy and Helen Keller joinedthe Socialist party. Keller was offendedby the luxury of the wealthy and theten-hour work days of ordinary people.The Socialists believed everyone shouldhave the same living standard. Anne

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Sullivan did not agree with Helen andJohn’s political ideas.

Keller criticized rich men like John D.Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie whohad personal fortunes. Then AndrewCarnegie, who gave a lot to charitablecauses, offered Keller an income.

Carnegie offered Keller five thousanddollars a year. He felt that her couragewas making an outstandingcontribution to society. Keller politelyturned the money down, even thoughshe could have used it. She could notaccept it from a rich man.

Keller hung a large red flag from herbedroom window to show her supportfor socialism. Many of her friends wereupset. They thought Keller did notreally understand politics. They felt thatthe Socialists were using her.


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Keller found out people were sayingshe was not able to understandcomplicated economic ideas. She struckback. She said she felt insulted thatanyone disrespected her like that. Shesaid being blind and deaf had nothingto do with her mind.

Keller and Anne and John Macy werehaving economic problems. None ofthe trio had a job that paid well. Thedecision was made to have a lecturetour. The tour would feature HelenKeller as a way to raise money. But, firstKeller had an operation on her eyes.

One of her eyes jutted out. That waswhy she was always photographed inprofile. The purpose of the operationwas to remove her sightless eyes andreplace them with artificial eyes. Thiswould give her a more pleasingappearance.


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In February 1913 Keller made her firstappearance in an auditorium inMontclair, New Jersey. She was terrifiedto go before the public. She prayed forstrength.

Anne Macy spoke first for about anhour, telling Keller’s story. Then, Helencame out and placed her fingers onAnne’s mouth. This showed theaudience the skill of lip reading. Then,Helen Keller gave a short talk.

Her comments were filled with hopeand good will, but her voice was of poorquality. It was high pitched and odd.The final part of the presentation was aquestion and answer period. The entirepresentation lasted about two hours.

The lecture tours supported Keller fora while. But then Anne’s vision grewworse. Sadly, her marriage to John Macyended in 1914. This left Anne very


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depressed. Anne could not help Helenon the stage. So, a new assistant—PollyThomson—was hired.

With Thomson assisting, Kellercontinued to draw large crowds.Thomas Edison and former PresidentHoward Taft came to see Keller. Thefamous Italian tenor, Enrico Caruso,sang to Helen. Auto pioneer HenryFord invited her to tour the Detroitfactory where he was buildingautomobiles.

World War I had broken out inEurope. Helen Keller joined women’speace groups. The groups campaignedagainst American involvement in thewar.

Keller made some controversialremarks against war and capitalism.She called John D. Rockefeller amonster. She blasted President


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Theodore Roosevelt as bloodthirsty. Shesaid this because he wanted the UnitedStates to join World War I.

Keller was warned by friends that shecould not continue to make suchstatements. People might consider herunpatriotic. Keller then said she wouldgladly go to jail for her beliefs if it cameto that.

In 1916, Keller joined the NationalWoman’s Party. This was a militantgroup campaigning for giving womenthe right to vote. Keller believed in thatstrongly. Keller also continued to speakout boldly in favor of socialism. She alsostill spoke out against Americanparticipation in World War I.


In 1916 Helen Keller became friendswith a twenty-nine-year-old Socialistnamed Peter Fagan. He helped her withher lecture tour.

But then, Anne Sullivan fell ill. PollyThomson took her to a sanitarium.Helen was alone. She had no choiceexcept to return to Alabama and livewith her mother.

Peter Fagan followed Keller toAlabama. They took walks together. He

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held Helen’s hand. Finally, he told herthat he loved her and wanted to marryher. Keller was seven years older thanFagan, but she loved him too. She wasoverjoyed.

Fagan learned to read Braille. As heand Keller walked in the woods, hespelled words to her. Helen Keller’smother was very upset when she learnedthat Helen and Peter were planningtheir wedding.

Kate Keller, Helen’s mother, orderedFagan out of Helen’s life. Helen’s motherbelieved someone like her daughtershould not marry anyone. Faganrepeatedly came to the house inAlabama to see Helen. Finally, at KateKeller’s request, family members forcedhim away at gun point.

Helen Keller continued to hope forFagan’s return. But, when she finally


gave up, she looked at her brief romanceas a beautiful part of her life.

Helen Keller was very unhappy inAlabama. She felt like a prisoner. Shedesperately missed Anne Sullivan andPolly Thomson. She felt useful and alivewhen she was with them.

In 1917 Anne Sullivan was feelingbetter. Helen and Polly came to join her.They lived in a red brick cottage inForest Hills, New York. Keller’s interestin the world around her returned.

The United States entered World WarI. She continued to grieve about theU.S. involvement in the war.

She also became very aware ofwidespread discrimination againstAfrican Americans in the South. Sheremembered little Martha Washingtonwho she had played with as a child. She

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felt black children, like Martha, shouldbe completely equal to white children.

Keller’s opposition to racialsegregation was shocking to herAlabama relatives. But, Helen did notcare what other people thought.

Helen, Anne, and Polly were happyliving together in New York. Then, anoffer came their way from Hollywood,California. A producer wanted to makeKeller’s life into a movie.

Helen Keller and Polly Thompson


He was offering Keller and Sullivanten thousand dollars each if they signedthe contract. When the movie wasfinished, they would each get anotherten thousand. After that they might getroyalties. It sounded wonderful.

Keller traveled by train to Californiaand took part in some scenes in themovie when her older years werecovered. The movie, Deliverance, didnot turn out to be a commercial success.In the end, it did not provide theeconomic security they had hoped for.

In 1920 Helen Keller turned forty. Shewas again in search of a source ofincome. The popularity of the lecturetour was waning. People suggested thatHelen and her friends develop avaudeville act and tour the countrywith it.

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The idea of traveling around withacrobats, magicians, and animal acts didnot appeal to Anne Sullivan. She sawvaudeville as undignified and a poorchoice for Helen Keller’s future. But,Keller was open to the idea.

A twenty minute act was developed forHelen Keller and Anne Sullivan. OnFebruary 24, 1920, the act opened atthe Palace Theatre in Manhattan.

Anne was seated at a grand piano asthe curtain parted. She spoke to theaudience in her warm Irish-accentedvoice. She briefly told them Helen’sstory. Then a tall, slim, attractive HelenKeller appeared. They acted out thewater pump incident. The act endedwith Helen Keller, in her very limitedvoice, saying she once was dumb, butshe is no more.


Helen Keller’s vaudeville act went toBaltimore, Pittsburgh, and manysmaller cities. Anne Sullivan remainedunhappy about it. But she was steadfastat Helen’s side.

Kate Keller, Helen’s mother, washorrified that her daughter had sunk tothis level. But Helen Keller herself washaving a great time. She felt part of alarge, vibrant new group of people.They were fun and lively.

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Keller rushed around making newfriends and learning the amazing storiesof interesting people. When Keller wasnot on stage herself, she enjoyed theother acts. She liked to be in theaudience when the dancers came on.She could feel the boards beneath theirwhirling feet tremble. Helen clappedwith the beat, a big smile on her face.

In November 1921 Kate Keller died.Helen had a strong religious belief in anafterlife. She felt that after people diethey meet their loved ones in the greatbeyond. That consoled her in her loss.

In 1921 Robert Irwin founded theAmerican Foundation for the Blind. Hewas blind and had a Master’s degree. Hisorganization had several goals.

One goal was to decide which was thebest Braille system. Another was toincrease the number of Braille books.


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In 1923 Irwin contacted Helen Kellerand asked her to become a fundraiser forthe organization. At first, Keller did notlike the idea. It sounded too much likethe old stereotype of blind peoplebegging for money. But Irwinconvinced her that it was a veryrespectable thing to do.

Now done with vaudeville, Keller andSullivan began addressing five meetingsa week. They went to private homesasking for support for the foundation.Keller was told that her Socialist ideasmight harm chances of gettingdonations for the blind. So, she agreedto abandon politics, at least for a while.

The team of Anne and Helen provedto be very popular. Keller’s personalitydelighted people. In 1926 Keller metwith President Calvin Coolidge. Thepresident was generally regarded as an


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unfriendly person. He warmed toKeller, telling her she had a wonderfulpersonality.

In 1929 Helen Keller’s had a newbook called Midstream: My Later Life. Itwas very successful. Keller began totestify before state legislatures and theUnited States Congress. She asked formore federal help in buying Braillebooks for the blind.

Helen Keller reading a book written in Braille


The three women, Helen, Anne, andPolly spent six months travelingthrough Britain, Scotland, and Ireland.Then, in the spring of 1931, the FirstInternational Conference for Workersfor the Blind was held in New York.There were 31 nations represented.Helen Keller’s fundraising efforts werepraised.

Helen Keller was traveling more andmore. She was seen as a symbol of anactive, successful blind and deaf woman.Also, she was seen as a symbol ofAmerica. She always seemed cheerfuland optimistic. Her clothing wasattractive and eye catching. She wore acute little hat with a fluffy, dotted veil.There were sparkling buckles on hershoes.

Helen Keller and her friends rented avilla in Brittany. From there, they

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traveled to other countries. While inEurope, Keller was saddened by theclouds of war that were gathering. Shesensed the hostility. Once again, shespoke out for cooperation amongnations.

When Helen Keller returned to theUnited States, she found out that an oldfriend was running for president. Muchearlier, Keller had corresponded withNew York Governor Franklin Roosevelt.The bond between them was deep.

Keller was encouraged that in 1932Roosevelt would be running for thepresidency. When he was electedpresident of the United States, Keller’sfriendship with him continued. Hewelcomed her input on assistance forthe disabled.

Anne Sullivan’s health had beendeclining for some time. She was the


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person who handled Keller’s personalfinances. Arrangements were made incase Sullivan died before Keller. If thishappened, Helen Keller’s financeswould be handled by the Foundationfor the Blind.

On October 20, 1936, Anne Sullivansuffered a heart attack and died. Thefuneral was held at the PresbyterianCollegiate Church in New York City.Helen Keller and Polly Thomsonfollowed the casket down the aisle.Anne’s body was interred in theNational Cathedral in Washington. Shewas remembered as one of the greatestof all teachers.


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Helen Keller helped pass the billproviding for more Braille books. Shehelped President Roosevelt includeassistance for the disabled in the newSocial Security Act. Roosevelt said hewas for whatever Keller was for.

Keller was becoming a nationalheroine. She was admired by Americansand people all over the world. Shemoved with Polly Thomson toWestport, Connecticut. They lived in acolonial house. There, they entertainedmany famous and non-famous people.

C H A P T E R 9


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Helen Keller was sad that America wasinvolved in another world war, WorldWar II. But she understood the terribleevil of Hitler’s Germany. She knew ithad to be stopped.

She wanted to do her part in helpingthe war effort. So, she started visitinginjured soldiers in hospitals. Keller’sown disability was a great help inreaching out to severely disabled men,especially those blinded in the war.

In spite of her handicaps, she hadbecome a beloved and successfulwoman. Her strength offered realencouragement to young men facinglifetime challenges. With Polly at herside, she was able to talk to the men.

Keller was now past sixty, but heractive life continued. She campaignedfor Franklin Roosevelt’s reelection in1944. She visited hospitals in London,


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Paris, Athens, and Rome. She madethese visits on behalf of the AmericanFoundation for the Overseas Blind.

In 1947, after World War II, Kellervisited Australia. She also returned toJapan where she had been so warmlyreceived before. She visited institutionsfor the blind and spent time inHiroshima. Hiroshima was one of thetwo Japanese cities that was bombedwith atomic weapons.

Helen Keller pledged to work forpeace. She wanted to help preventatomic weapons from ever being usedagain. She spent 61 days in Japan andonce again was received as a hero.

In 1950 Helen Keller visited SouthAfrica. In 1952 she went to Israel,Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.

On the one hundredth anniversary ofLouis Braille’s death, Keller visited Paris.


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Louis Braille was the man whodeveloped the Braille system. Kellerspoke about Braille’s wonderfulcontribution in perfect French. Shewent on to India and Pakistan later. Shenever tired of her work as the unofficialambassador of good will.

Helen Keller wrote a book titledTeacher. The book was about her muchloved friend, Anne Sullivan.

On the week before her 75th birthday,Keller was awarded an honorary degreefrom Harvard University. It was the firstever given to a woman. Telegrams, gifts,and good wishes came to Keller from allover the world.

Polly Thomson had a stroke in 1957.She never was able to be Helen Keller’scompanion again. A nurse, WinnieCorbally, took over to help Keller athome.


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In 1957 a play was developed. It wasbased on the life of Helen Keller and thehelp Anne Sullivan had given her. Theplay was a great success as a livetelevision play and then on the stage.Eventually the play, called The MiracleWorker, was made into a motion picture.Both Patty Duke, who played Helen,and Anne Bancroft, who played AnneSullivan, won Academy Awards.

In 1960 Polly Thomson died. Herremains were placed in the National

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Cathedral in Washington, D.C., besideAnne Sullivan’s.

In October 1961 Helen Keller’s healthbegan to fail. She suffered a stroke andspent her time mostly at home.However, in 1964, she was awarded thePresidential Medal of Freedom. Thismedal is America’s highest civilianaward. A year later, she was chosen forthe Women’s Hall of Fame at the NewYork World’s Fair.

Helen Keller was aware that her lifewas coming to an end. She faced it withthe same cheerful courage with whichshe had confronted everything else.Keller called death just a matter ofgoing from one room to another. And,as she told friends, in the room she wasgoing to, she would see again.

On June 1, 1968, Helen Keller died inher sleep. The doctor who attended her


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reported a smile on her lips. After afuneral service at the NationalCathedral, her remains were placed nearAnne Sullivan’s and Polly Thomson’s.

Helen Keller used her life to prove tothe world that to be disabled does notmean being useless. She used speeches,writings, and her own wonderfulpersonality to communicate with theworld. She showed that a blind and deafperson could inspire the world andbecome a true hero.

Helen grasped life with enthusiasm,delighting in the world around her.Lack of sight and hearing could nottake her happiness away. With herboundless spirit, she lit the way forothers.


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B I B L I O G R A P H Y

Keller, Helen. The Story of My Life: ARestored Classic. New York: W.W.Norton & Company, 1995.

Herrmann, Dorothy. Helen Keller, ALife. Chicago: University of ChicagoPress, 1999.


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G L O S S A R Y

absorb: to soak up appeal: to be especially

attractive capitalism: an economic systemcasket: a box in which a body

is placed conclude: to come to a

conclusion or determinationConfederacy: the name of the

Southern states of the United States that wanted to become a separate country during the Civil War

console: to calm someone down or make someone feel better

contract: to get or acquirecontribution: something that is

donated or given controversial: debatable;

problematic correspond: to belong to deliberately: on purpose detect: to notice discipline: to teach manners

and rules draw: to attract dumb: unable to speakembossed: having a

raised pattern fascinated: to be very interestedgarments: clothinggradually: slowlygrieve: to mourn hesitate: to pausehostility: unfriendliness;

aggression inter: to bury jut: to stick out militant: engaging in

aggression or war

mischievous: behaving in a slightly troublesome or naughty way

oculist: a doctor who treats eye diseases

optimistic: having a positive attitude

poorhouse: a place where poor people live

profile: a view from the sidepromote: to encourage the

advancement of somethingsanitarium: an institution for

the recovery of healthsegregation: separation based

on race, religion, or ethnicity a system of social and economic organization

steadfast: firm in purpose; unwavering

stifle: to end or put outsupplement: something added

to complete something elsetandem bicycle: a bicycle for

two peopletantrum: a fit of bad tempertrailblazer: a pioneer; someone

who blazes a trail for others to follow

vaudeville: stage entertainment involving a series of short acts

veteran: someone who has experience in an occupation, particularly the military

vibrant: bright; glowing waning: becoming smaller

or weakerwillful: headstrong; stubborn


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I N D E X

Alexander, William, 31, 32American Foundation for the

Blind, 49, 50, 54Anagnos, Michael, 4, 15,

23, 24Baltimore, Maryland, 13Bell, Alexander Graham, 14,

24Braille, 23, 28, 30, 43, 49,

51, 55, 58Braille, Louis, 57, 58Carnegie, Andrew, 37Cleveland, Grover, 24Coolidge, Calvin, 50Fagan, Peter, 42, 43Feeding Hills, Massachusetts,

15Ford, Henry, 40Forest Hills, New York, 44Harvard University, 29, 32Hiroshima, 57Humason, Thomas, 27International Conference of

Workers for the Blind, 52Irwin, Robert, 49, 50Keller, Arthur Henley, 5Keller, Kate Adams, 5, 13,

43, 48, 49Keller, Mildred, 11Macy, John, 32, 34, 35,

36, 38, 39meningitis, 6National Woman’s Party, 41Perkins Institute, 14, 15, 23,

24, 26,

Radcliffe College for Women, 29, 31, 33

Roosevelt, Franklin, 53, 55, 56

scarlet fever, 6Socialism, 41Socialist, 36, 37, 42, 50Sullivan, Anne, 14, 15, 16,

17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30, 34, 35, 36, 38, 39, 40, 42, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 50, 53, 54, 58, 59, 60, 61

Sullivan, Jimmie, 15the Alabamian, 5Thomson, Polly, 40, 42, 44,

45, 52, 54, 55, 56, 58, 59, 61

tuberculosis, 15Tuscumbia, Alabama, 5, 12Washington, Martha, 9, 44, 45Westport, Connecticut, 55World War I, 40, 41, 44World War II, 56, 57Wrentham, Massachusetts

34, 35Wright, John, 27Wright-Humason School, 27


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