Laurent Clerc was a French educator and a key figure in the development of education for the deaf in the United States. Born on December 26, 1785, he became deaf at a young age and later studied at the National Institute for Deaf-Mutes in Paris. Clerc was instrumental in bringing French Sign Language to America. In 1817, Clerc co-founded the first permanent school for the deaf in the U.S., known as the Hartford School for the Deaf in Connecticut, alongside Thomas Gallaudet. His work laid the foundation for deaf education and significantly influenced the teaching methods used today.