Helen Newell Garfield

Helen Newell Hills Garfield (February 12, 1867 – August 20, 1930) was an American socialite and advocate for deaf education. She was herself hard of hearing in adulthood. During World War I, she worked with the American Red Cross and raised funds for the care of French orphans. Early life Helen Newell Hills was born in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of John Newell and Judith Poore Hills. Both of her parents were born in Massachusetts. Her father was a railroad president. Career Helen Newell Garfield had four children born in the 1890s, and was a society figure in Washington, D. C., from 1902 to 1909, while her husband James Rudolph Garfield was working with President Theodore Roosevelt in various capacities, including as Secretary of the Interior. While in Washington, she helped to found the District of Columbia branch of the Woman's Department of the National Civic Federation. After the Garfields returned to Ohio in 1909, she founded the Lake Erie School of Speech Reading and the Cleveland Association for the Hard of Hearing in 1921, and was involved with the American Federation of Organizations for the Hard of Hearing. She also worked for the creation of lip reading classes in the Cleveland Public Schools. Helen Newell Garfield was herself hard of hearing in adulthood.