Anne V. Ward (March 1877 — May 31, 1971), sometimes written as Anna V. Ward, Annie V. Ward, or A. V. Ward, was a Scottish-born American educator. She was blind from youth, and taught at the Overbrook School for the Blind for 25 years, until her retirement in 1946.
Early life and education
Anne V. Ward was born in
Glasgow, Scotland
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
in 1877, and moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with her parents as a young girl. Her father was a stonemason. She left school worked as a servant from age 12 until she was 16 and became blind after surviving
meningitis
Meningitis is acute or chronic inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, collectively called the meninges. The most common symptoms are fever, headache, and neck stiffness. Other symptoms include confusion or ...
. Ward then continued her education with help from Elizabeth Roe Dunning, principal of the Pennsylvania Institute for Instruction of the Blind. She completed an undergraduate degree at Vassar College in 1905, and was believed to be one of the first blind women to earn a college degree in the United States.
Career
Delaware and New Jersey
Anne V. Ward was Delaware's state-appointed teacher of blind adults as a young woman; in addition to teaching, she spoke to community groups and advocated for braille materials in the state's libraries. She worked for the New Jersey Commission for the Blind as a home teacher from 1910 to 1918, based first in
Camden
Camden may refer to:
People
* Camden (surname), a surname of English origin
* Camden Joy (born 1964), American writer
* Camden Toy (born 1957), American actor
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* Camden, New South Wales
* Camden, Rosehill, a heritage res ...
(where she organized the city's Blind Association), and later in Trenton. In 1911, she spoke to the Friday Club of
Hightstown, New Jersey
Hightstown is a borough in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 5,494,Pennington, on her work: "She with another teacher have charge of the southern portion of the state and it is their duty to visit every blind person whose name is found upon the last census report, and of course all others that they may hear of during the year," explained one report, adding that her monthly visits included educational and vocational assessment, instruction, and referrals to adaptive programs and other community resources.
Overbrook School for the Blind
Ward was employed on the faculty of the Overbrook School for the Blind for 25 years, until her retirement in 1946. She was a member of the Pennsylvania Federation for the Blind, the
Pennsylvania State Education Association
The Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) represents more than 187,000 teachers, educational support professionals, counselors, curriculum specialists, librarians, health care workers, school nurses, school dental hygienists, school nur ...
, the American Association of Instructors for the Blind, and the American Association of Workers for the Blind. While teaching at Overbrook, Ward worked with blind veterans of World War II, teaching braille. She also taught Mae Davidow, who would go on to become the first blind woman to earn a Ph.D. in the United States, at Temple University in 1960. Davidow recalled of Ward that "many of her students will remember her as a good, strict, kind teacher, always aiming to prepare the blind to take their place in the sighted community. She was my inspiration.""First Blind Woman to Win College Degree Dies at 94" ''The Progress'' (June 3, 1971): 6. via Newspapers.com In 1966, her former students threw a birthday celebration for her, at the nursing home where she lived.
Personal life
Ward lived her later years at the Chapin Home for the Aged Blind in Philadelphia. She died in 1971, age 94.Anne V. Ward Dies, Teacher of Blind, 94" ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' (June 2, 1971): 53. via Newspapers.com