- Valentin Haüy
Valentin Haüy (pronounced|aɥi;
13 November 1745 inSaint-Just-en-Chaussée (Oise ) -19 March 1822 inParis ) was the founder of the first school for the blind. His brother,René Just Haüy , is considered a founder of modern mineralogy.Haüy was born into a family of weavers. His father, a full-time loomer, also held the job of ringing the
Angelus bells in a local Premonstrant Abbey. The abbey monks educated Valentin and he became a skilled linguist speaking ten different languages of the day. He also studied ancient Greek and Hebrew.Haüy's need to help the blind reached an all-time high in 1771, after he stopped for lunch in a cafe on the
Place de la Concorde ,Paris . There, he witnessed an ensemble of people from the Quinze-Vingts hospice for the blind being mocked during the religious street festival, "Saint Ovid's Fair". They were givendunce cap s, oversized cardboard glasses and told to play their instruments which resulted in acacophony of noises.In 1783, he gained the title "interpreter to the king", Louis XVI.
He is buried, with his brother
René Just Haüy , in the Cimetière du Père-Lachaise inParis .See also
*
Association Valentin Haüy
*Musée Valentin Haüy
* Slate and stylus, HistoryExternal links
* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07152b.htm His article in the "Catholic Encyclopedia"]
Further reading
[http://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/braille/louisbraillebook.html Louis Braille: A Touch of Genius] , C. Michael Mellor, National Braille Press, 2006. Includes sections on
Valentin Haüy , "Institution Royale des Jeunes Aveugles",Sébastien Guillié , and of courseLouis Braille .
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