Editing Laurent Clerc (section)

==Legacy==
Generally, prior to the onset of organized education of the deaf, deaf people were regarded as unintelligent and incapable of education.  Laurent Clerc became one of the most recognizable figures in Deaf history of the United States thanks to his significant role in shaping deaf education. As a person who could not hear, nor speak from a young age and, despite this, acquired excellent command of spoken languages at an age far past the prime years for language acquisition he is also an exemplary personification of educability and high intellect.

Largely due to Clerc's contribution to the education of the Deaf in America several awards, buildings, funds, and other honors were named after him. Most notably at [[Gallaudet University]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gallaudet.edu/Documents/Alumni/1990-Hagemeyer.pdf |title=Archived copy |website=www.gallaudet.edu |access-date=30 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211206011639/https://www.gallaudet.edu/Documents/Alumni/1990-Hagemeyer.pdf |archive-date=6 December 2021 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gallaudet.edu/institutional-advancement/alumni-relations/alumni-association-%28guaa%29/awards/cogswell-award.html |title=Alice Cogswell Award - Gallaudet University |publisher=Gallaudet.edu |access-date=2015-10-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20151110120113/http://www.gallaudet.edu/institutional-advancement/alumni-relations/alumni-association-(guaa)/awards/cogswell-award.html |archive-date=2015-11-10 }}</ref>