Oh! Edmund Booth just rode past. He is actually an interesting man. He is six feet and three inches, weighs 210 pounds, and has a great beard. Deaf people all over recognize him as a venerated leader. He grew up attending the American School for the Deaf under the tutelage of Laurent Clerc. Eventually, he met his wife and lived in Anamosa, Iowa, but Booth couldnt settle in one place too long! So he decided to rush out to the gold fields of California in 1849. He found some success and made some money. He then returned home and settled there. He eventually bought a newspaper, "The Anamosa Eureka," and became an editor of that newspaper where he also wrote articles. During the Civil War, he wrote articles denouncing slavery. He also was the first editor in the whole state of Iowa declaring his support for the right of women to vote. When the NAD was founded in 1880, he was the first chair of the convention. The members asked him if he would like to become the president of the NAD, but Booth felt since he was of elderly age, it would be better if a younger person were to be president. Respectfully, he declined the offer. With Booth's work, his life and his success have shown other deaf that they can emulate him. Today he is known among deaf people as the first pioneer of the Deaf. Accessibility provided by the U.S. Department of Education.