This is a list of deaf firsts noting the first time that a deaf person achieved a given historical feat. This list also includes some deafblind persons. Academics Ferdinand Berthier, French deaf educator, intellectual and political organiser, first deaf person to receive the Legion of Honour (1849) Helen Keller, American author, disability rights advocate, political activist and lecturer, first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree (1904)"Phi Beta Kappa Members" . The Phi Beta Kappa Society (PBK.org). Retrieved March 25, 2020. Pierre Gorman, Australian librarian, academic and educator of children with disabilities, first deaf person to receive a PhD at Cambridge University (1960). Geraldine Lawhorn, American musician, actress and instructor, first deafblind African-American person to earn a college degree (1983) Irving King Jordan, American educator, first deaf president of Gallaudet University (1988)Brueggemann, B. J. (1995). The Coming out of Deaf Culture and American Sign Language: An Exploration into Visual Rhetoric and Literacy. Rhetoric Review, 13, 409-420.Fussman, Cal (1988). The Nonstop Hero. The Washington Post Magazine (December 18, 1988), pp. 20-26, 46-47. Haben Girma, American lawyer and advocate, first deafblind graduate of Harvard Law School (2013).
Sports Ed Dundon, American baseball pitcher and first deaf player in MLB (1883-1884)McKenna, Brian. "Ed Dundon". sabr.org. Retrieved January 30, 2014. Lance Allred, American basketball forward and first legally-deaf NBA player (2008)
Actors Marlee Matlin, American actress, first deaf winner of an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Children of a Lesser God (1986) Troy Kotsur, American actor, first deaf man to win an Academy Award for acting; he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in CODA (2022)
Other Henry Winter Syle, American cleric, first deaf person to be ordained a priest in the Episcopal Church in the United States (1883). Wilma Newhoudt-Druchen, South African politician, first deaf female Member of Parliament in the world Heather Whitestone, first deaf woman to win the title of Miss America (1995) Heike Heubach, first deaf Member of the German Bundestag (2024)
See also Deaf history List of deaf people
References