John Dennison Russ (September 1, 1801 – March 1, 1881) was an American physician and co-founder of the

New York Institute for the Blind The New York Institute for Special Education is a private nonprofit school in New York City. The school was founded in 1831 as a school for blind children by Samuel Wood, a Quaker philanthropist, Samuel Akerly, a physician, and John Dennison Russ ...

and

Children's Village The Children's Village, formerly the New York Juvenile Asylum, is a private, non-profit residential treatment facility and school for troubled children. It was founded in 1851 by 24 citizens of New York who were concerned about growing numbers o ...

with 23 others. Russ, son of Parker and Elizabeth (Cogswell) Russ, was born in

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...

(then the parish of Chebacco, in

Ipswich Ipswich () is a port town and borough in Suffolk, England, of which it is the county town. The town is located in East Anglia about away from the mouth of the River Orwell and the North Sea. Ipswich is both on the Great Eastern Main Line r ...

), Mass., September 1, 1801. He graduated from

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

in 1823. On leaving college he began the study of medicine with John D. Wells, Professor of anatomy and physiology in

Bowdoin College Bowdoin College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Brunswick, Maine. When Bowdoin was chartered in 1794, Maine was still a part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The college offers 34 majors and 36 minors, as well as several joint eng ...

, he continued it at Baltimore Medical School and Boston Medical School, and received his doctorate from the

Yale Medical School The Yale School of Medicine is the graduate medical school at Yale University, a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was founded in 1810 as the Medical Institution of Yale College and formally opened in 1813. The primary te ...

in 1825. After spending a year in hospitals abroad, he began practice in New York City, but in June 1827, sailed from Boston in charge of supplies for the Greeks in their struggle for liberty. He remained in Greece, superintending the development of a hospital service, until his health failed, in the spring of 1830. On his return he entered again in practice in New York City. At an early date he became interested in the condition of poor children with

ophthalmia Ophthalmia (also called ophthalmitis) is inflammation of the eye. It results in congestion of the eyeball, often eye-watering, redness and swelling, itching and burning, and a general feeling of irritation under the eyelids. Ophthalmia can have d ...

in the city hospitals, and at his own cost made (in March, 1832) the first attempt at the instruction of the blind which was made in America. He was in the same year appointed Superintendent of the newly chartered New York Institute for the Blind, and in that position introduced many devices in methods of teaching which have been permanently useful. In the midst of these labors his health failed, and he was compelled to resign and seek restoration by a long absence in Europe. After his return, he engaged in numerous other philanthropic schemes, especially by serving from 1846 to 1854 as the corresponding secretary of the Prison Association of New York, and by originating measures in 1849 which led to the incorporation of the New York Juvenile Asylum (now Children's Village) in 1851. He was the superintendent of this asylum, resigning in 1858. He was also a member of the

Board of Education of the City of New York The Panel for Educational Policy of the Department of Education of the City School District of the City of New York, abbreviated as the Panel for Educational Policy and also known as the New York City Board of Education, is the governing body of ...

for four years, 1848–51. During his old age he resided in Pompton, N.J., making further improvements in methods of printing for the blind, and interesting himself in other general studies. He died in Pompton, of diabetes, March 1, 1881, in his 80th year. In 1830 he married Eliza P. Jenkins, daughter of a captain in the English navy. She survived him, with one granddaughter.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Russ, john dennison 1801 births 1881 deaths Physicians from New York (state) American hospital administrators Yale School of Medicine alumni People from Essex, Massachusetts 19th-century Greek physicians Phillips Exeter Academy alumni Yale College alumni

See also

References