
Originally Posted by
ForresterModern
Does the name Alexander Graham Bell ring any...well, bells?
Born in Scotland, raised in Canada and eventually set up shop in Boston working with the deaf (his father was one of the inventors of sign language so it came naturally in his family).
I would say those are some pretty significant accomplishements.
And some of my favourite bits of trivia:
First:
"Dad" (Alexander Melville Bell) is the prototype for Prof. Henry Higgins in the musical My Fair Lady - more originally the play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw, Shaw paid tribute to Bell Sr. by referring in the play, to his textbook "Bell's Visible Speech" Bell the elder could actually achieve Higgins's stage feat of identifying someone's land of origin by their speech patterns and inflections.
Second:
Q. What was Alexander Graham Bell's name? (Sounds obvious, but it isn't.)
A. Alexander Bell. He said that there were too many "Alexanders" in the family, so he would go by Graham. He always signed his name "A. Graham Bell" and the only person who normally used his actual name was his father when the lad was in trouble, as in "A-a-a-alex!"
Despite his many accomplishments (Bell was also part of the inventing team which launched the "Silver Dart" at Baddeck, Nova Scotia, Canada, the first powered flight in the British Empire) Bell always gave his profession as "teacher of the deaf." Actually, he married one of his deaf students, a Miss Mabel Hubbard - a lifelong love affair, and it was Bell's Father-in-Law who bankrolled Bell's many researches.
Rev'd Father Bill White: Mostly retired Parish Priest & former Elementary Headmaster. Lover of God, dogs, most people, joy, tradition, humour & clarity. Legion Padre, theologian, teacher, philosopher, linguist, encourager of hearts & souls & a firm believer in dignity, decency, & duty. A proud Canadian Sinclair with solid Welsh and other heritage.
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