Thomas Stringer

Thomas Stringer (July 3, 1886October 11, 1945) was an American carpenter. Deafblind from a young age, Stringer was brought to the Perkins Institution for the Blind through the fundraising of Helen Keller. He was well-regarded at the school for his carpentry skills, which he used to help support himself after graduating from Perkins in 1913. Biography Thomas Stringer was born on July 3, 1886, in Washington, Pennsylvania. He became blind and deaf after being infected with spinal meningitis at age two or three. His mother died soon after his illness, and his father placed him in a hospital in Allegheny. He was confined to a bed and seemed destined to live in a series of almshouses. Stringer's plight came to the attention of ten-year-old Helen Keller, who was determined to bring Tommy to the Perkins Institution for the Blind. Keller used creative means to raise tuition for Stringer to attend Perkins: when her dog Lioness was killed by a policeman, her letter to a benefactor recounting the tragedy was published widely, which led to people sending in donations to purchase her another dog. Instead, Helen donated the money to a fund established by Perkins director Michael Anagnos to support Stringer.