Miss Anne Mansfield Sullivan had the greatest influence on thelife, character and achievements of Helen Keller. She gave a new direction,meaning and purpose to Helen’s dark life. Miss Sullivan inherited all thosetraits and characteristics that go in making a perfect teacher. She was apicture of tireless patience and unending devotion. It was her constantencouragement, help and guidance that made Helen Keller first deaf and blind inthe world to earn a bachelor degree.

It was Graham Bell whoadvised the parents of Helen Keller to contact the Perkins Institute for theBlind. The director, Mr. Anagnos asked a former student Miss Anne Sullivan tobecome Keller’s instructor. Miss Sullivan was herself a visually impaired 20years old lady. It was the beginning of a 49-year-long relationship. Therelationship evolved into Miss Sullivan becoming Helen’s governess and theneventual companion. Anne Sullivan arrived at Keller’s house in March 1887. Sheimmediately began to teach Helen to communicate by spelling words into herhand, beginning with ‘‘ d-o-l-l’’ for the doll. It was Miss Sullivan whounfolded and developed Helen’s skills and possibilities. It was Sullivan’sgenius as a teacher, her sympathy and loving tact which made learning sobeautiful and interesting for Keller. She felt that her being was inseparablefrom her student. All that was best in Helen Keller had been awakened by theloving touch of Miss Sullivan. Anne Sullivan stayed as a companion to HelenKeller long after she taught her. Anne Sullivan married John Macy in 1905. Sheremained a constant companion to Keller till she died in 1936.