William Willard founded Indiana

Indiana

Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

's school for the deaf in Indianapolis, Indiana

Indianapolis, Indiana

Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...

, which later became the Indiana School for the Deaf

Indiana School for the Deaf

Indiana School for the Deaf is a fully accredited school for the deaf and hearing impaired, located in Indianapolis, Indiana.-History:When the first school for the Deaf was established in Indiana, it was not called Indiana School for the Deaf...

. He was one of the most important deaf persons in the deaf community.

Willard was born on November 1, 1809 in Brattleboro, Vermont

Brattleboro, Vermont

Brattleboro, originally Brattleborough, is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States, located in the southeast corner of the state, along the state line with New Hampshire. The population was 12,046 at the 2010 census...

. He grew up in Rockingham

Rockingham

-People:* Marquess of Rockingham, a British title of nobility whose holders included:** Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham, who was the eighth Prime Minister of the United Kingdom* Cllr...

, Vermont

Vermont

Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...

, and attended American School for the Deaf

American School for the Deaf

The American School for the Deaf is the oldest permanent school for the deaf in the United States. It was founded April 15, 1817 in Hartford, Connecticut by Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc and became a state-supported school in 1817.-History:...

 in Hartford, Connecticut

Connecticut

Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...

. During his schooling, he was a student of the famous Laurent Clerc

Laurent Clerc

Laurent Clerc , born Louis Laurent Marie Clerc, was called "The Apostle of the deaf in America" by generations of American deaf people...

, who was and is considered the "Father of Deaf Education" in America. After he graduated, he taught at a school for the deaf in Columbus

Columbus, Ohio

Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...

, Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

, which was called Ohio School for the Deaf

Ohio School for the Deaf

Ohio School for the Deaf is a school located in Columbus, Ohio. It is run by the Ohio Department of Education for deaf and hard-of-hearing students across Ohio. It was established on October 16, 1829, making it the fifth oldest residential school in the country...

. There, he met Eliza Young, who was also deaf and a teacher, and married her. Eventually, the both of them traveled to Indianapolis, Indiana, and William proposed the establishment of a school for the Deaf.

He and Eliza traveled throughout the state of Indiana on horseback, recruiting potential deaf students in order to form a school. On October 1, 1843 was the first day of school, and William's school had twelve students. William and his wife, Eliza, both were teachers. Eventually, Indiana passed a law that established the school as a state institution, and after William became Principal of the school, Indiana passed a law that officially declared Indiana School for the Deaf

Indiana School for the Deaf

Indiana School for the Deaf is a fully accredited school for the deaf and hearing impaired, located in Indianapolis, Indiana.-History:When the first school for the Deaf was established in Indiana, it was not called Indiana School for the Deaf...

 as the sixth state school for the Deaf to provide free education to all deaf and hard of hearing students.