Michael Anagnos

Michael Anagnos was born Michael Anagnostopoulos on November 7, 1837, in Papingo, a small village in the mountain-land of Epirus. His father was Demetrios A. Theodore and his mother was Kallina Panayiotes. Demetrios was a farmer and shepherd; however, he was a proponent of educating his son. The region was not disrupted by Ottoman rule and they paid a special tax to the Sultan. Ottoman soldiers never came to the village. He went to high school in Ioannina. He attended the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens at age nineteen. Following the next four years, he studied Greek, Latin, French, and philosophy. Anagnos then studied law for 3 years with the intention of becoming a political scientist and journalist. At age 24, he joined Ethnophylax a daily Athens newspaper. He later became the editor-in-chief.[2][3]

Anagnos took an active role in opposition to King Otto and his government. He was active in the dethronement of King Otto using Free Masonry with the aid of Giuseppe Garibaldi and one of his sons. King George succeeded King Otto and Anagnos left the paper because of a disagreement regarding the revolt of Crete in 1866. Greece was actively at war with the Ottoman Empire from 1821. American Philhellene and Doctor Samuel Gridley Howe traveled to Greece during the 1860s to offer aid and relief. Doctor Samuel Gridley Howe met Michael Anagnos and hired him as his secretary. Michael Anagnos organized relief for the war effort. Michael was in charge of the Cretan Committee's affairs in Athens. Doctor Howe had to travel back to the United States. Howe invited Michael Anagnos to Boston to continue his work with the Cretan Committee in New England around 1868.[4]

Michael Anagnos arrived in the United States at 31 years old. He was a private tutor to the Howe family. Doctor Samuel Gridley Howe also founded the Perkins School for the Blind. Anagnos began to teach Latin and Greek to several blind children. After several years in the United States and with the assistance of Samuel Gridley Howe Anagnos began to teach Greek at different colleges. He married the daughter of Samuel Gridley Howe, Julia Romana Howe in December 1870. Anagnos permanent home became Boston.[5]

Michael Anagnos was Samuel Gridley Howe assistant. When Doctor Howe was absent Anagnos was Director of the Perkins School for the Blind. He became very familiar with the system of teaching the blind and deaf. He studied the success of Laura Bridgman a former student of the Perkins School for the Blind. This contributed to his work with Helen Keller, Thomas Stringer, Elizabeth Robin, and other blind and deaf students. Samuel Gridley Howe died in January 1876. Upon his death, Michael Anagnos became the second director of the Perkins School for the Blind.[6]

Michael Anagnos published Education of the Blind in 1882. Around this time, Michael Anagnos devised a plan for a kindergarten to teach blind and deaf children. Julia Romana Howe Anagnos was very educated. By this time she published several books assisted and inspired her husband's work with the deaf and blind. She helped raise money for the kindergarten. Regrettably, she suddenly died at 41, on March 10, 1886. They had no children. Within the next few years, a kindergarten building was erected in Jamaica Plain Boston and a large endowment was organized. Michael Anagnos forfeited compensation and labored tirelessly to finish the project. One of the first students was Thomas Stringer. Around this time Anagnos sent former Perkins student Anne Sullivan to teach Helen Keller.[7][8]

Michael Anagnos traveled to Greece and other parts of Europe around 1889. His travels lasted for 15 months. While in Greece he met with Olga, the Queen of Greece. The queen learned about Helen Keller's story and asked to read every letter she wrote Anagnos. Her interest was so intense that she kept several of the letters and the nine-year-old blind girl was highly regarded in the queen's court. Many U.S. newspapers circulated the story about Helen Keller's popularity within a royal court, this catapulted her legacy. Around age ten Helen Keller wrote The Frost King and sent it as a birthday gift to Michael Anagnos. He published the story in The Mentor, The Perkins alumni magazine. The story was then published in The Goodson Gazette, a journal on deaf-blind education, based in Virginia. Helen Keller later became the first deaf-blind woman to receive a bachelor's degree. Her story became one of the most popular in American history.[9][10][11]

Helen Keller and Michael Anagnos 1891

Michael Anagnos frequently spent time with Notable Harvard professor Evangelinos Apostolides Sophocles. In 1892, Michael Anagnos received an honorary A.M degree from Harvard University. Around 1900, he traveled to Paris to attend the International Congress of teachers and friends of the blind. He was sent to represent both the United States of America and the Perkins School. He made large financial contributions to Greek education and established schools in Papingo Greece. He was president and founder of the National Union of Greeks in the United States. He also founded the Plato Society, The Panhellenic Union, Alexander the Great Organization. He was Vice President of the Massachusetts Medical Gymnastic Association. Anagnos was instrumental in starting local Orthodox Churches in the Boston area and helping local Greek immigrants.[12][13]

In 1906, now aged 69 he traveled to Athens and observed the Olympic Games. He died on June 29, 1906, while traveling in Romania. His body was taken to Eprios and buried there. In Boston, 2000 people gathered for his memorial service at the Tremont Temple. Notable guests included Governor Curtis Guild Jr., Mayor John F. Fitzgerald, Mrs Julia Ward Howe, Episcopal Bishop of Massachusetts William Lawrence (bishop), Mrs Florence Howe Hall.[14][15]

• Education of the Blind Historical Sketch of Its Origin, Rise and Progress 1882
• Kindergarten and Primary School for the Blind A Second Appeal for Its Foundation and Endowment 1884
• The Education of the Blind in the United States of America Its Principles, Development and Results; Two Addresses 1904

• Burgess, Thomas (1913). Greeks in America: An Account of Their Coming Progress Customs, Living and Aspirations. Sherman, French & Company 1913.
• Benjamin Sanborn, Franklin (1907). Michael Anagnos, 1837-1906. Wright and Potter Printing Company Boston 1907.