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Annual Report Of The Trustees Of The New-England Institution For The Education Of The Blind, 1834

Creator: n/a
Date: 1834
Source: Perkins School for the Blind


Introduction

Annual reports to state legislatures were one of the key methods by which trustees and superintendents of schools for disabled children argued for additional government funding. In this report, the trustees of the New-England Institution for the Education of the Blind (previously known as the New England Asylum for the Blind and, after 1839, as the Perkins Institution for the Blind) tried to appeal to legislators’ sympathies by stating that the asylum served primarily poor children, documenting the school’s extensive public support, and describing the ways in which pupils were prepared to support themselves after graduation.


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TO THE MEMBERS OF THE CORPORATION OF THE NEW-ENGLAND INSTITUTION FOR THE EDUCATION OF THE BLIND.

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Gentlemen,

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AT the return of your annual meeting it becomes the duty of us, to whom you entrusted the immediate direction of your Institution, to render you an account of our stewardship. Our task, however, is a most pleasant one, inasmuch as the history of the Institution for the past year has been an uninterrupted series of propitious events.

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When, a twelvemonth ago, we undertook at your direction the management of its affairs, it was unknown to the public; a doubtful experiment on the feasibility of educating six poor blind children was in operation; the appropriation by the State was insufficient for their support; the subscriptions were nearly exhausted; and, within one month after our appointment, we found the Institution to be absolutely in debt. Now, however, the scene has entirely changed; the Institution has attracted public notice, and gained public favor; it is in the enjoyment of liberal patronage from this, and the surrounding States; it possesses a considerable funded property; its five-and-thirty happy inmates, inhabit a splendid and airy mansion, with extensive grounds, and every thing necessary for their health, comfort, and education; and preparations are made for the reception of as many more.

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For this pleasing change in the affairs of the Institution, we would take no credit to ourselves, but ascribe it to the liberal patronage of the State; to the generous interest of the public; and to the munificent spirit of individuals. We cannot but flatter ourselves, however, that all these advantages have been fully improved, and that the present state of our charge will show that the patronage so liberally bestowed, has not been unavailing.

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Previous to detailing the present situation of the Institution, we will recapitulate briefly some of the principal events of its history: in July, 1832, the gentleman employed by us to procure the necessary information, apparatus and teachers in Europe, returned, and we determined to make a thorough trial of the feasibility of educating the blind, even although we should be obliged to expend the last dollar in the treasury; for we were confident that if we succeeded, we might rely fully upon a generous public for the means of establishing a suitable Institution. Accordingly we took six blind children, at random, from indigent families, and after having kept them under instruction for six months, made an exhibition of their acquirements before the Legislature of Massachusetts. The result of this was so satisfactory, -- it proved so incontrovertibly the capacity of the Blind for receiving instruction, that the Legislature made at once an appropriation of $6,000 per annnm -sic- to the Institution, on the condition that it should receive and educate, free of cost, twenty poor blind persons from the State of Massachusetts.

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Exhibitions were then made before the public, which produced considerable sensation, and awakened the community to the duty of providing a suitable establishment for the education of the Blind; and nothing can be more honorable to a community, or to human nature, than the spirit manifested by the inhabitants of Boston and its vicinity on this occasion. No sooner was it proved to the people, that the before neglected and ignorant blind were as capable as themselves of receiving a common education, and more in need of one, than it became a general and eager inquiry, "What shall we do for them?" The ladies, ever foremost in deeds of charity, immediately made an effort to raise a large sum of money; individual subscriptions and donations were offered on every side; Boston and Salem seemed to contend with each other in the race of benevolence; and different plans were suggested for turning to the advantage of the blind, the current of popular excitement; but nothing was decided upon, until, by an act so munificent as to excite astonishment and admiration even at the moment when all were generous, one of our citizens gave a particular and definite direction to the general effort. We allude to the proposition of Thomas H. Perkins, to give his mansion house in Pearl-street as a permanent residence for the Blind, provided a fund sufficient to ensure the perpetuity of the Institution could be raised; and we can pronounce no greater eulogium on the wisdom and foresight of the donor, or on the generosity of the public, than to state, that within one month, upwards of fifty thousand dollars were raised and placed to the credit of the Institution.

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Nor ought we omit to mention, that the generous intentions of Mr. Perkins were made known to us, before they were communicated to the public; that we considered his proposal, from the first, as equivalent to an outright gift; and that the condition annexed, proved only that his generous heart was guided by sound judgement.

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Exhibitions of the pupils were afterwards made to the large towns in the Commonwealth, and a general interest in the welfare of the Institution was excited. Nor was this confined to our own State; an exhibition was made before the Legislature of the State of Connecticut, and the appeal in favor of the poor blind of that State, was answered by a vote appropriating the sum of $1000 per annum, for twelve years, for the support of as many blind children at the Institution, as could be educated for that sum. Two pupils only have been received under that appropriation. The Legislature of New-Hampshire voted $500 and a temporary appropriation; and four pupils are now reaping the advantages of it. The Legislature of Vermont, at their last session, made the liberal appropriation of $1,200 for ten years; but no pupils have as yet been received under it.

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