It always helps to feel that we are not alone, and for children who were blind, Helen Keller was there as an icon of hope and a highly accomplished role model. Helen Keller had become a living national treasure. She was a person highly esteemed for overcoming intense challenges and using her gifts to uplift, motivate, and advocate for others.
Helen Keller lived from 1880 to 1968. During her long life, she was a prolific writer and speaker. In 1955, she had travelled to Toyko, Japan, and spoke to blind children there. What followed was a touching moment described in the Register. A little girl had gone to hear Keller speak and wanted to get closer, but the crowd of 500 prevented her. A reporter helped the girl, Dorothy Ann, only five years old, reach the front of the crowd. Then, Helen “gently touched the child’s face.” Dorothy Ann reciprocated and “traced the worn, lined face with her fingertips. A brilliant smile replaced the tears.” Through that touch, the two were able to see one another.
Helen had a gift for making personal connections with people. Throughout her life, she made people feel special, worthy, and seen. When she was just a young girl, she had a touching exchange via letter with her favorite poet, John G. Whittier. She wrote him, “When I walk out in my garden I cannot see the beautiful flowers but I know that they are all around me; for is not the air sweet with their fragrance?” Connections like this were a hallmark of her life. The Register states that she told the children “never bend your head. Always hold it high. Look the world straight in the face.”
This project is made possible by grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Texas State Library and Archives Commission and with the help of UNT Libraries.
Gainesville Daily Register Digitization Project 